Midnight
by Katie Lou Lou x
Summary: A few months after Edward and Bella's honeymoon. The Cullen's soon learn that they will have to move on from Forks to avoid suspicion on their human facade. Follow Bella and Edward as their relationship blossoms and they start high school again in Alaska.
1. Chapter 1: Awe

_A/N: Hey guys! Thank you for everyone who showed their support towards A Restless Existence, but I felt that the story wasn't as good as it could be. So check out the 1__st__ chapter of my new Fanfic and tell me what you think? Any suggestions? Please read and review!  
Katie x_

Chapter 1: Awe

It's been a few months since my beautiful honeymoon with my gorgeous _husband_, Edward. It still seems completely abnormal to use the word 'husband', and I guess it is because it just does not justify Edward's role in my existence. Now that we ware back from Isle Esme, things have seem to have slotted into place perfectly. I guess my life is just that – perfect. Things could not get much better than they are now. This feeling of completeness has just swallowed me up recently as I am still in awe of how my life has changed since moving to Forks about two years ago.

I had only seen Charlie once since we had been back as we know that it will not be in my best interests to get too attached to him. Of course it will be incredibly hard to let go, but saying goodbye is better than Charlie finding out about my new life. Being a Police Chief, he has a very detailed eye and so would be able to detect the details of my transformation easily. Renee is already very suspicious on the phone with the change in my voice. Since being changed, my voice sounds more like bells and sweet music than my originally dull sound. I'm sure that she's reading more science fiction novels again. If either of them found out, it would kill me to have to chose an immortal life for them or certain death. Another valid reason why I don't want them to find out is because I'm afraid that they wont approve of my decision to join Edward in this world. They wont understand how deep my love is for him. I would hate it if either of them resented me for the choices I made, and if they would be scared of what I am. I know I would never – could never – hurt them, but their certain prejudices to the Vampire world might hinder their opinions. I'm sure that we need to talk soon about our further actions.

As I gazed out of the glass wall in our bedroom, Edward came to stand behind me and wrap his welcoming arms around my waist. As he rested his head upon my shoulder, I remembered how Edward used to feel when I was human. His cold, marble skin used to send shivers down my spine at every touch. I used to say that he was statuesque, and I guess that's how we would feel to humans. Now, Edward feels _normal_. I hate to use that word about my life because it is far from it, and Edward is far from normal. He is amazing. We did not need to use words at this moment. There were no words to describe both the beautiful sunrise, and the beautiful man hugging my waist. We could have been standing there for mere minutes, but it felt like hours had slipped past us. I could not think of a better way to spend my time. Finally, Edward spoke.

"Do you want to go downstairs, love?" He whispered into my ear, letting his teeth graze gently over my ear. Feeling his breath tickle across my skin would have sent goosebumps over my old skin and would have probably given a red flush to my cheeks. But now, it still get hat feeling; but within my body, making it impossible to escape from my immortal being.

"Sure" I managed to say, still too mesmerized by the beautiful sunrise.

"Carlisle wants to talk." He said dubiously, knowing that both of us didn't want to talk about our future options.

Realization hit me that the Cullen's would be moving on very soon. Carlisle is hardly passing for twenty three now, and the staff at the hospital have had some very questioning thoughts. People would be shocked to see me again after my recent changes. People would definitely be suspicious of our human façade when their newest family member suddenly appears to look just like them; snow white skin, gold eyes, perfect body and features, out standing grace and the distance that we all gave ourselves from humans. We would be rumbled and have to go into hiding for years. Nobody wants that, especially Rosalie who hates me enough already for giving up my human life. She was jealous of me being mortal as she desperately wants a child to nurture. When I gave up my option of having a baby, she resenting my choice which made me closer to him than never before. Of course we love each other as sisters, but she is still resentful towards me.

We slowly made our way downstairs, hand in hand, at human speed, wanting to savour these perfect moments we shared. If we could bottle up our love we had for each other, it would be priceless. Not even the Cullen's and the fortune telling pixie who had an eye for winning lottery numbers and stocks and bonds would be able to afford it. Our love is effortless, yet undisputed. Edward is my whole world. Edward is the sun that is so beautiful and undeniable, he is the moon and sparkling stars in the night to guide me, he is the flowers in the ground which are so delicate and appealing. Edward is everything beautiful and caring that this world has to offer. We headed towards the dining room where the family sat around the table to make tough decisions regarding their well being. Of course the table was mainly just a prop. I'm sure that Esme wouldn't take too kindly to a half dead mountain lion laying across her table and her sons and daughters sitting with plates in front of them. It would be a sight I would love to see.

It was strange seeing the Cullen family sat around the table. I guess I have never had a stable family, until now of course. Me, Charlie and Renee never used to talk together like my new family does now. I suppose we were never really a proper family. A family. Children. I let out a long sigh, thinking of Edward's children which I could never have. I can just imagine their beautiful bronze hair and their luminescent skin. Oh how I long for a child. I didn't think that it would matter too much at the beginning, but now I feel sort of useless for not being able to give Edward the one thing he could love more than me. I cannot fulfil my duties as his wife if I cannot give him a baby. I've seen how it has affected Esme and Rosalie in particular. Immortality sure does come with it's downsides. I see it now. I see why Edward was reluctant to take away my human life. I still don't think he understands fully though, how much he means to me.

As we walked into the dining room, Carlisle, who was sitting at the head of the table, smiled at me reassuringly. I knew what he wanted to discuss and so he gave a single nod, confirming my fears of having to move from Forks. It shouldn't have been such a shock. I was only aware of Edward guiding me to the chair and the seven friendly faces watching me from across the room. I was stunned that the time had passed so eagerly. Time had crept up on me and laughed in my face. You wouldn't think that time was such an enemy, being as we had forever, but time was more important than never. Even Rosalie was looking sympathetic as her eyes met mine. She knew what I was going through. After Rosalie had been changed all those years ago, she went 'missing' from her family. It must have been even harder on her than it is on me right now. She just had to leave without a goodbye or any warning. At least with my Dad, I can say that were moving and give a pretty good excuse behind it.

"I think it would be a good idea and in the best interests of all of us that we plan to move on from Forks." Carlisle stated, "What do you think Bella?" I could barely make my lips move so I just nodded my head.

"We should move to Alaska, near Denali, to see Tanya and her family." Esme added, trying to brighten up the situation.

"When do we go?" I managed to say, trying to involve myself in the conversation more.

"We can go when your ready Bella. We would not leave if you are not ready. You must understand that. It would be best to go in the next month at least though." Carlisle informed, reassuring me that everything would be okay. Edward kept me wrapped in his arms, soothing and numbing my problems away. He really was my best friend.

"You do understand why we need to do this, love?" Edward soothed.

"Of course. The sooner we go, the better. Lets get it over with." I replied, trying to escape from the now hellish town of Forks, Washington.

"We've already got a house up in Alaska, Carlisle needs to hand in his resignation, we need to pack the boxes, and then we're ready to go." Esme listed. She was so good in organising and planning. She was the perfect mother – always there to help us whenever we needed her. Esme and Carlisle were the heart of this family. No doubt the new house in Denali was the typical Cullen style; white on white colour scheme, glass walls, open plan and completely grand. Esme loves to design interiors of old houses. I recently suggested to her that she should make a business out of it, so now she is busy planning and building her business. It's nice for her do something outside of the family.

"Right that's settled then." I smiled, eager to start the day with Edward by doing something nice together.

After our meeting with the family, me and Edward decided to go out for the day. We could go any where we wanted and have an amazing time. We were still unsure of where we were going when finally got in the car.

"Shopping?" Edward suggested.

"Sure, but don't force me to go into the clothes shops. Alice tortures me enough." I chuckled.

"Very funny, but don't worry I wont put you through that pain. How about we buy some new stuff for our new bedroom in Alaska? We could have a look at the new music and televisions?" At that moment, I could just imagine snuggling up with Edward in a huge bed, wrapped in the duvet, watching a romantic film. It was the perfect feeling.

"Cool. Lets have a look at the DVD's as well. Fancy watching a new one tonight?" I grinned. He knew exactly what I was getting at.

"Of course I would. Cuddling up with you in bed is the perfect way to spend an evening." By this time, we were speeding down the free way and heading towards Seattle. The journey took half the time with Edward behind the wheel as he drives like a maniac. After being transformed, I realised that he only looked like a maniac to human eyes. Now, I usually drive even faster than he does.

"Have you and the girls got any plans for the weekend?" By 'The Girls' and 'Plans' he meant are Alice and Rosalie taking you shopping.

"I don't think so. We went shopping a few days ago so they've tortured me enough for this week." I grimaced, thinking back to the huge bill that Alice stacked up in one store alone. I must have every designer garment out there, including every accessory to go with it. Just to come out today with Edward, Alice insisted I wear a day dress and heels. I must admit though, this maxi dress looks incredible against my pale skin, and I know that Edward loves to see me in heels. He complimented me this morning as soon as he saw me, so Alice's shopping trips must be doing their job right. The strapless dress flows all the way down to my ankles with beautiful patterns and shading to make it elegant, yet practical. The orange tones look incredible against my alabaster skin and amber eyes. With my oversized brown leather handbag and shades, Edward couldn't keep his eyes off me.

"Remind me to thank Alice again later." Edward announced.

"What for?"

"To say thank you for making you look even more stunning than you already are. I may have to upgrade her Porsche." He winked then put his eyes back on the road. I smiled then began to look out of the window at the passing scenery. The passing forest looked like a green blur, all merging together. It was quite surreal, like an antique painting, all the colours fading into one.

"Talking about shopping," Edward started, "don't you think we should go car shopping for you?" I let out a long sigh, indicating my preference not to buy a new car. It wasn't necessary to have an up to date sports car, and to be quite honest, I love it when Edward drives.

"What would I need a new car for?"

"Well I just thought that since your truck has died, you might want your independence back so you can take yourself out." Hmmm I had never thought about it like that. Maybe he did have a point, and I didn't have to get the sportiest car out there. A new Chevy would be more than enough.

"Okay then, but I get to chose and it cannot be too outrageous."

"Aha don't you trust me? As long as it's blue and drives fast, you can have whatever you want darling." Edward smooched, as he reached over to take my hand. I love the way how his smooth skin feels against me. It sends tingles down my constantly shaken spine.

"Deal."

_Please REVIEW and tell me what you think! That green button is calling out to you! x_


	2. Chapter 2: Green

Chapter 2: Green

As we pulled into the mall car park, heads turned at the sight of Edward's Vanquish. More heads turned as the 'supermodel' couple climbed out. I hate the attention even more than when I was human. Thankfully, my new found grace meant that I didn't trip or fall over my own feet. Edward, cool and collected, walked around to my side to help me out and take my hand. We walked into the mall, and headed first to the electronics store. One girl in particular gazed over at _my _husband. I was infuriated. Was this what it would be like from now on? A low growl erupted from my chest, and I angled my body towards Edward, letting this feeble human know who he belonged with. Her face turned an envious shade of green, as she lifted her head with her last remnants of pride, and quickly turned on her heels to escape my death glares. Immediately, I made the comparison between her and the cactus I brought with me to Forks all those years ago. Edward sensed that I was tense and immediately tried to calm me.

"What's the matter, love?"

"That poor specimen of a human over there is getting on my last nerve." I spat. He chuckled at my assessment and stooped down gently to kiss my lips. My non-existent heart fluttered at his perfect lips moulding around mine gloriously. We were made for each other.

"If I think her mind was a little clouded and confused on our relationship status, I think it is now fully resolved." He once again chuckled, and my favourite crooked smile spread across his face.

"Is it like this all the time for you when you can hear people's thoughts?"

"Always. But now you're with me, I've got the perfect distraction."

"Lets get shopping before I drag you home to bed." He grinned at my reaction and led me into the first electronics store we found.

"That may not be such a bad idea Mrs Cullen," He began, boy was this going to be a trip to remember, "in fact, I think it is a great idea."

"Maybe so but what would everybody think if we got home within an hour of leaving and rushing straight upstairs. I'm not having Carlisle and Esme think we can't even go out of the house without ravaging each other."

"Well if we must. Come on let me treat you. That shop has got your name written all over it."

Edward led me to the high end jewellery store which I have never even looked at twice. It's shop front glistened with diamonds and gorgeous gold.

"Edward uh... no you cant... no Edward... uh" He continued pushing me in the direction of the shop.

"Yes I can and I will. You deserve something special."

"But you've already given me far too much!" By this point we were already through the doorway and admiring the jewellery in the impeccable glass cases. Everything was just so intricate and detailed. It was hard to chose my favourites as they were all so perfect.

"Cullen. I would like to pick up my order." He told the shop worker mysteriously.

"You already ordered me something?" I questioned, unsure of whether to believe how much he was willing to spend on something so trivial. Of course we could afford it, but it was the principle that meant so much to me. We I joined this family, I had nothing to give them except myself. I felt so worthless compared to each single member. Therefore, for Edward to spend even more on me made me question myself and the life I led before we got married. I should have tried much harder than working at Newton's Olympic Outfitters. Then, I could have really supported myself and not have been so dependant on my loved ones for help.

"Well I thought you wouldn't want to chose. You are so indecisive that it's cute. Anyway I think I know you better than you know yourself sometimes." He ribbed playfully, trying to make me accept my gift all that easier. Ever since my birthday last year, I've never been one for presents. Edward understands that, and I think that now he is trying to let me forget and move on. It was an experience I never want to live through again. Deep down, however, I feel that if we hadn't have gone through those tough times, we wouldn't be the people we are today.

The shop worker made his way back from collecting the order. He pulled out a velvet sheet to lay on the glass top, and then opened the jewellery box, albeit too slowly. Even though I felt out of balance with Edward right now, I was eager to see what he had picked out for me. It would obviously be just perfect and unique knowing Edward's taste. As the luxurious box opened slowly, it revealed a glistening white gold ring with a dominant sapphire situated neatly in the centre. It was beautiful. There were no other words to describe it. The stone was the perfect shade of blue imaginable. Edward had always said that blue looked incredible on me. Consequently, most of my possessions are now blue, but I love it also. I gasped in shock at the beauty of the ring.

"What do you think?"

"It's incredible... it's, it's beautiful Edward!" He kissed my forehead then gently tugged the ring out of the box to place it with my engagement ring and wedding band. It looked like it was meant to be there all along. It had found it's home.

"I thought that since we are starting high school again soon, you wont be able to wear your wedding ring. Now you will always see me wherever I am. Forever." He said in hushed whispers, so low that the assistant could not hear us.

"Thank you – it's beautiful. You are in my every living thought. I will never forget you, even without the reminder of you in my ring. I will always love you Edward Cullen. For eternity."

After deeming the ring as perfect to the shop keeper, he bagged up the box and made his way over to the cash register. I did not want to know how much it cost, but I couldn't help but notice the amount of zeros on the display. I did not deserve this. We left the shop with Edward's arm wrapped around me lovingly.

"Now it's my time to treat you, hubby!" I giggled at the analogy I made of our life. It felt as if we were an old married couple, as we knew absolutely everything there is to know about each other. There wasn't one thing that I didn't know and accept about Edward's past.

"There's nothing you could give me which would make me any more happy than I am right now." He beamed down at me. Hmmm I bet I could give it a fair try.

"Well later tonight I could try my best to give you what you want."

"Deal."

***

Edward was in his element in the electronics stores. He whizzed around picking out exactly what we both wanted, and of course it had to be the best they had. In the last store we went to, Edward had brought the biggest television they offered, the newest ipod and all the latest CD's which he didn't have. We had also ordered new bedroom furniture including a new wrought iron bed, dressers, bedside tables and lots of fluffy cushions. I did not expect the cushions to last long in our bedroom. We were getting worse than Emmett and Rose in their newly wed days.

After an exhausting day of shopping, we slowly made our way back to where the car was parked. Half of our shopping was being delivered tomorrow, so we still had enough room in the car to breathe. I sighed at the falling sun. Another day over. I gently laid my head against Edward's arm as we walked, hand in hand. Today had gone too quick, even though it has exhausted me. Who knew that shopping could be so tiring? I think that today has been about more than just shopping. The things that we brought today will shape our lives together. They would be memories of our time, and happy ones at that. We will think back to the time in the jewellery store, and the girl eyeing me jealously. We will remember this day forever. _Forever_.

***

As soon as we got home, we went and sat with the others in the living room. We were mentally exhausted, and needed quality time with the family to recuperate. Alice was generally chirping away at how pleased she was that we actually went shopping. She was also planning a shopping trip for us girls in a few weeks. Apparently, my wardrobe stock was dwindling, even though my closet was heaving. She listed the many items she 'needed' and everything she wanted to get for me. I was not used to being so spoiled.

As soon as everyone began ignoring Alice out of boredom, the topic turned to our new life in Alaska. Carlisle needed to plan what names we would use and details of our day to day business. He knew he had to have another job as a doctor, otherwise his resistance to human blood might fade away. I don't think that Carlisle has ever taken more than a year off from work. He truly deserves more credit than he currently receives.

"Bella and jasper, I think that you two should start school a few days after everyone else does, and stay separate for a while. We wont look as conspicuous, and you can easily join in with the others after a few weeks." Carlisle informed. I had never considered not being a part of the Cullen family, even when we were at high school. Of course though, I would do pretty much anything if it meant that our lives would be easier and people wouldn't find out about us being... _vampires_. Gosh I still have trouble saying that word! You would have thought it would have sunk in by now, but it just doesn't get any easier.

"I'll drive you both to school everyday, so you will look like you have a normal family. This way people wont think it's strange that six incredibly stunning orphans have joined one high school within a few days." Esme cooed. She was so loving and protective of us that it was kind of cute. I love her like she is my own mother. It's nice to have some sort of stability and family in my life now. For years, I parented my own mother and father, and now it is nice for someone to look after me in that way. Even if it is to late - and I have a husband.

"That's okay. And I get to spend more time with my favourite brother!" I chuckled, making the tone of the conversation more light. I placed a reassuring hand on Jasper's arm, letting him know that I am here if he needs me. Ever since my transformation, Jasper and me have formed a close friendship. He relies on me, and I a strange way, I suppose I kind of rely on him too.

"Hey! What about me sis?!" Shouted Emmett from across the room jokingly.

"I'll think about it." I replied sarcastically. Emmett knew I was only joking with him, so he pretended to fake cry, portraying himself as a spoilt six year old. Boy, did I love that guy. He always knows how and when to make me laugh. He is the joker of this family, and I'm sure that this will remain constant throughout our lifetimes.

"It's sorted then! Bella and Jasper Swan are twins, Emmett and Edward Cullen are brothers, and Alice and Rosalie Hale were also adopted by Dr Carlisle and Esme Cullen. Now that that's all sorted out, who fancies a family hunt?" Carlisle said.

"Sorry Carlisle, but me and Bella are going to stay here. We've had a tiring day, and we only hunted yesterday. I don't want the stocks to run low." Edward informed, trying to get alone time with me. It was clear on everyone's faces that they knew what we were planning, but we didn't drop our façade. I don't think I could stand Emmett if he pulled out the full Bella and Edward's sex life jokes.

"Okay then guys, lets leave Bella and Edward to it. I'm sure they are very... tired." He mused. Even Carlisle wasn't immune to the facts of our relationship.

The family quickly exited the room with their respective partners hand in hand. In a second, the room was deadly quiet except for our rugged breathing. We were lying on the white couch, with Edward behind me and resting his head on my shoulders. He kissed my neck lovingly, and did not stop all night. It was one of the best nights of my existence. I pushed all of my fears and worries to one side, and focused on having a great time with Edward.

_A/N:_ _So what do you think? Any suggestions for future chapters? Please review and put forward your views!  
This Fanfic may contain more fluff than plot, but that's how I see Bella and Edward's life together. I think they've faced enough battles for a lifetime, and so now it is time to have fun.  
I would also like to say that SM created the wonderful world of Twilight, and I do not own any of the characters or previous plot in the Fanfic.  
Katie x  
P.S REVIEW PLEASE!!!_


	3. Chapter 3: Dance

Chapter 3: Dance

_A/N: Thank you so much for all of your kind reviews! It really makes me want to carry on writing! Do you have any suggestions for cute future chapters?? I hope you enjoy this chapter!  
Katie x  
P.S PLEASE REVIEW!!! _:)  
This week has been so chaotic! Esme had us packing everything up from the house into brown cardboard boxes which were too flimsy and breakable. We didn't stop working for days on end, and we only had breaks to go out and hunt in twos or threes. The important thing was that we were helping Esme out – it would have been too much to ask for her to do most of the work. Boxes were stacked up higher than our heads, but to us, carrying them was as easy as carrying a feather. The Cullen's had culminated so many belongings, that we will probably need about five large removal trucks. I personally know that at least two of them will go to Alice's clothes. At least I was being kept busy, so my mind didn't feel the necessity to wander and imagine leaving my Dad and the wolf pack behind. I had decided to go and visit Charlie one last time in a few days. It would be hard, but I know that Edward will be there to help me through it.

I know my recent emotional outbursts have been hard on Edward too. I've been planning to make up for it by getting him a surprise. It wasn't new jewellery or a flashy new car, but something special that he can cherish in years to come. I'll probably pop out later to buy what I need. I suppose I don't need to make it up to him. He is my husband and he will always be there to help me whenever I need him the most. However, I feel so guilty for being upset and emotional around him. I havn't been myself recently, and I need to change this to make us both happier.

We continued packing up our shelves of music in our room, and then collapsed on the bed in fits of laughter.

"What a cliché!" We still had a few more shelves to box, but it would take us a few more hours. Even though we both had ipods with huge memories, we still preferred to play CD's when we were alone in our room.

"I could never get enough of this new life." I stated, happy with how everything has turned out since we met.

"Fancy going to a range in California to hunt properly? Bag us a few Mountain Lions?" Edward suggested, clearly needing a break from the housework.

"Sure that would be great. Let's just finish packing the shelves so Esme doesn't get mad."

"Good idea. We don't want a mad vampire on our hands!" He grimaced sarcastically, clearly remembering times when our parents got mad at him. I laughed, thinking how on earth could Esme be mad with anyone.

We finished the last shelf, until one CD remained. I pulled it out and smiled, thinking back to the day when Edward played this for me. _Clair De Lune_. Edward came up behind me and wrapped his inviting arms around my waist.

"Hmmm lets put it on." Edward whispered seductively in my ear. He placed the CD in the player which was not yet boxed. The music started escaping from the speakers, dancing in the air. Edward took my hand and twirled me around to face him.

"You know Edward, I still don't dance." I tried to mirror his crooked smile, but failed miserably. There was only one person that could do it right.

We moved to the music, holding onto each other desperately. The notes slowly faded away into the background and gradually came to an end. We carried on swaying, despite the lack of music. We stood there for hours, leaning into each other. No one spoke. The moment was perfect.

***

Alice packed a weekend bag for me to hunting with Edward for a few days. We loaded the Vanquish,and off we went. I didn't dare look in the bag for the fear of being startled to death, even if it was possible for a vampire. Knowing Alice she probably packed ten outfits with matching heels and bags, rather than just one which was essential. The garage doors opened, and we sped out down the driveway. This weekend will be brilliant. It will let me escape the terrors of leaving. Edward held my hand throughout the journey, and his presence made me feel more comfortable and loved. I needed reassuring today.

We drove in silence for the most part, taking advantage of the peace and quiet. As usual, the dark clouds were menacing high in the sky, and even so often, they emitted a down pour. The droplets took their predictable suicidal journey down to earth and smashed of the windscreen. The wipers quickly cleaned away any evidence, as if it were a murder scene. Hopefully the rain would pass when we were hunting in the forest. However, the rain had it's upsides when hunting. Seeing Edward shake his hair free of glistening droplets always makes me feel giddy and loved up inside. It's a sight I would recommend to anyone, but I would probably rip their heads off if they got too close.

The journey took hours, but was of course severely cut short due to Edward's erratic driving. We arrived at the trail to the forest within hours. We parked up the car in one of the two spots provided, and made our way out into the clean morning air. We had set off late at night, so it was just after dawn when we arrived. It was so lovely to be out in the open with the wind whipping through my hair and the birds chirping their morning choruses. I breathed in a lung full of oxygen and smiled happily towards Edward. He returned my smile and pulled me in for a rigged kiss. I had to pull away soon after as two hikers were slowing down on the free way and pulling into the other spot. It seems you can't even get privacy out in the wild. As the other couple pulled in and got out their hiking gear, we had to wait for them to join the trail before we could run out into the open. Seeing two young people with no equipment run blindingly fast into a dangerous part of the forest would have probably scared them to death. My human killing total still remained at zero and I wanted to keep it that way, even if they died of natural causes. We pretended to get props out of the boot of the car while the other two joined the trail. Edward once again pulled me in to carry on from where we left off.

"Now, were where we?" He chuckled blowing his sweet fragrance across my mouth. I just could not get enough of him. Ever.

We made sure that the couple had at least an hour head start so that we shouldn't have to cross their scents whilst hunting. The consequences would have been deadly. I decided to give Alice a call to make sure that the path was clear. Edward thought this was a good idea also. He didn't want us to be in temptations path.

I took out my shiny new phone which Emmett, of all people, had customised it for me. Edward brought me a new iphone, and then suddenly a few days later, it went missing. It made it's way back to me the next day, covered in blue diamante swirls. Really, I suspect that they are proper diamonds knowing the Cullen family. It also had a blue ribbon attached to it and a gift tag saying:

_'Love you Sis, Emm xxx'_

I thought it was so sweet, and honestly quite ironic. The bulkiest, manliest person in the house had took time to glue jewels onto a phone. It showed how much time and effort he had put into it. I could just imagine him getting so frustrated but the glue, and him throwing it across the room. Splat!

I chose Alice's number from speed dial, and on the first ring, she picked up. Alice had probably seen me phoning her and sat by her mobile waiting for the call.

"Hey Alice. How are you?" I began. Obviously she knew what I was going to ask, but I wanted to see how she was first. Knowing Alice, she had probably been so depressed to see her clothes in boxes, that she went out on another shopping trip to feed her compulsive addiction. I can also imagine Carlisle's face when he sees the hundreds of new shopping bags crammed into her car.

"I'm great thank you. I've just been out on a mega shopping trip! You will never believe all the things I brought for you!" Alice started. Clearly she could carry on for hours, but I had to stop her before she got too advanced. Great – more clothes.

"Alice that all sounds good but can you see whether the path will be clear or whether we'll cross their scents at all?" I questioned, looking for a quick conversation as I was desperate to hunt. My throat was burning rapidly like a wild bush fire. A fire spreads so quickly in the bush, just like in the body. It soon spreads to everything in you, and everything you do. It infects the mind with it's possessive qualities, and so you can't think about anything but hunting and the warm trickling of blood down your throat. I was desperate, and craving the one thing that I was being held back from. Alice was quiet as she attempted to see into our futures.

"No your path looks clear. Just stay away from the trail that the hikers started,and you should be fine. Keep your phone on you though in case anything crops up." Alice informed, clearly disappointed by my lack of enthusiasm with her latest shopping trip.

"Thanks Alice, and by the way, I'll try it all on when I get back." I added, just to please her.

"I knew you would. See you soon!"

We headed out in the opposite direction of the hikers and began to let our senses take control of our minds. We ran so fast that I could tell we were nearly in Canada by the changing climate. We then spread out and focused our minds to the hunt. I could faintly hear the heart beats of Elk in the distance by the river, but I wanted something better to satiate my thirst. A little further away, I could also hear the pounding of a heart which must belong to a larger animal. Mountain Lion or Grizzly perhaps. I ran even faster into the direction of my prey until it was visible in the undergrowth. A Mountain Lion was sleeping casually at the foot of a huge Cedar tree. I became feral as my instincts took over and I leaped the closing distance and set my teeth to it's throat. The Lion woke with a startle and began writhing in agony and waving its claws in the air in panic. Since being transformed, I have learnt how to hunt tidily, and not get dirty. Therefore, I angled my body differently so that my clothes did not come into contact with spillages of blood. The Lion's attempts at survival slowly faded, and it's body became limp in my arms. I drained it completely, feeling the fire draw back down my throat. It was extinguished, but only for a short period of time.

I heard Edward tackle and kill his prey in the distance, so I decided to take up the advantage of hunting something else. I went for a Grizzly this time, but it's attempts of escape reaped havoc on my clothes. We would have to stop on the way back so I could change. Edward approached smiling at my wrecked outfit.

"I must compliment you on your outfit. It's an improvement." I laughed along with him and look down, startled to see that most of my skin was showing.

"I guess it will just give Alice an excuse to but me more clothes."

"We'll have to get you out of those ones first." Edward chuckled, with a devilish grin on his face.

***

The car ride home so far was peaceful and quite relaxing from a tiring and exhilarating day of hunting. We were yet to stop to freshen up. I turned the radio on and blasted it until the walls started to reverberate. I didn't have a clue who the artist was, and I suspect that Edward didn't either. After we played the CD a few times, I began singing along to it, or more like screaming. Having immortality hadn't improved my singing unfortunately.

We turned off the free way after an hour and headed for the first diner we could find. The diner we stopped at was quite traditional and rustic. It had yellow chequered curtains and salmon pink tables and chairs. The air smelled musty and dirty due to the truckers which stop by frequently. I had pulled one of Edward's shirts over me as I grabbed my weekend bag out of the boot and headed towards the toilets. I entered the cubicle, locking the door behind me, and placing the toilet seat down. I rested the oversized bad down on the seat and quickly swept the zipper open. I was not looking forward to what ever Alice had packed for me. As usual, I was not surprised to see that Alice had packed a sketch book filled with drawings of how the outfits work. Page after page was filled with colourful sketches of mannequins with the latest outfits on them. I turned to the first page to see a long sweeping dress that flowed to the floor. Luckily it was a day dress and not an evening dress, so I took it off the top of the pile, not bothering to see the other outfits. I also noticed a pale cardigan at the side, so I pulled it out as it was a fairly bright day. It would cover up my arms to stop them from appearing slightly luminescent. I stripped down and pulled on my new outfit, and laughed when I saw that the tags were still on the dress. Alice. I exited the cubicle to the sinks and washed my hands and face from the grime and dirt that lay upon them. I pulled a brush through my knotted hair and then grabbed some pins and put my fringe back from my face.

I went out from the toilets with my belongings to see that Edward had ordered coffee to act in a human manner. I suppose it would look odd if I just used the toilets to change and then leave. I could smell the coffee in the air, and it reminded me of mud pies I used to make when I was little. The smell was repulsive to me as a vampire. I sat myself down next to Edward and rested my head against his shoulders.

"You look lovely."

"Hmmm thanks. Trust Alice to pack an entire wardrobe just for one day." I replied, still astonished by what my weekend bag contained. I pulled out my phone to text Alice:

_'__Thanks for the clothes Alice – but really was an entire wardrobe necessary? We'll be home shortly. Ly xxx'_

We pretended to sip coffee, but I couldn't bring my self to even put the cup near my lips. The wilting plant next to me looked like it could do with a little watering.

_  
A/N: Please review and tell me what you think. What do you want to happen in future chapters???  
Katie x  
P.S PLEASE REVIEW!!!_


	4. Chapter 4: Photos

Chapter 4: Photos

We finally arrived home after a long twenty four hours of hunting. We made it back by the afternoon, so I decided I wanted to hit the shops to get what I needed for my little present to Edward. I was planning on getting our honeymoon photos printed and enlarged, and one photo in particular I had in mind to go in a small delicate frame by the side of our bed. It wasn't flashy or expensive, just something to remind us of the beginning of our new lives on Isle Esme.

As we walked through the front door, we greeted the family. They all looked chuffed to see us back home. I could tell Alice was plotting something by the evil pixie like look in her face, so I decided to blank out her scheming, and enjoy time in front of the television with Emmett, Rosalie and Edward. Carlisle was at work tying a few loose ends up. He had handed in his letter of resignation a week ago, and everybody was surprised to see his shock exit. Carlisle was a loved member of the hospital staff, and everybody, women in particular, were sad to see him leave. I think that deep down, Carlisle was also very sad to lave. Forks had embellished all our hearts with happiness, as our lives have all changed dramatically here.

After an hour of sitting on Edward's lap watching the television and chatting about our latest adventures, I decided it was time to go to the mall.

"I'm just going to pop out. I need to get a few things from the mall." I reassured, knowing that Edward will be desperate to come with me.

"Let me just change my top and I'll come with you." What a surprise. I knew Edward didn't want me going on my own. Of course I didn't want to be without him either, but surely an hour didn't make much difference to our everlasting existence.

"It's okay – I want to go on my own." I stated. I tried to hide all emotion from my face as I know that if he saw the slightest doubt on my face, he wouldn't let me go at all.

"Are you sure? I don't like the idea of you being on your own." I said with a stern look on his angelic face. It was hard to upset Edward, but wanting to be without him for a while was a definite emotion crusher.

"Honestly Edward! Let the girl do something on her own for a while. I'm sure she just wants to escape being baby sat for a few hours!" Alice chirped in. I'll have to tell her how grateful I am later for her help in getting out. I bet that she's seen what I'm planning to do, and that my little trip will go great. No nasty vampires will come and attack me today! I laughed thinking of how ironic that statement sounded.

"Yeah Eddie boy! Poor girl's probably sick of you!" Emmett shouted from across the room. Looks like everyone was seeing how protective Edward could be. I loved the little pet names that Emmett gave to Edward. They were so cute and honestly quite funny but they infuriated Edward.

"Fine but hurry back! I miss you already!" Edward exhaled, showing his undying need for my company. He really was adorable when he was sad.

"Yey! I get to dress Bella up!" Alice squealed like a four year old. Would she ever get over her addiction of 'Dress Up Bella'?

"Alice I'm only going to the mall!" I tried to reason with her, but it was of no use. She dragged me up the stairs and put her hand over my mouth so I couldn't complain. I felt like biting her hand but it would of only upset her. An upset pixie is worse that an addictive pixie.

When we were out of earshot of Edward, Alice finally released me from her grip and started bouncing up and down on the spot.

"You can take my car Bella!"

"You've never let anyone use your Porsche before. Why are you so determined to dress me up and put me in a fancy car? The Volvo will do just fine Alice."

"Nope it wont. So your taking my car and I get to play dress up and that's final!" God she is so annoying. I sighed, hard enough for her to hear and put on my special pouty face for moments like this.

"And not even that face will stop me!" Ugh! I was never going to win with Alice and that will probably remain permanent. What am I saying? _Probably?_ Of course it would!

After an hour of dress up, I was finally ready to be allowed to the mall. I grabbed the camera from the draw which housed all of our honeymoon photos. Edward changed me a week into the four week break, so we had stacks of photos where I look amazing. Even if I say so myself, and that isn't like me. I remember feeling like I looked like I belong on Edward's arm, and not just an accessory he could just play with when he wanted. Many of the photos we took were on the beach where we used to lay in each others arms for hours on end. It's a feeling I will always treasure. Nothing compared to being encased by Edward's loving arms. Of course we took some real goofy pictures, but who doesn't?

I made my way down stairs in the ridiculous outfit that Alice had dressed me in. I could hardly walk in the heels that she put me in. The long grey top and leggings looked suitable I suppose, but I still looked more like a fashion mule than a shopper at a mall. I pulled on a baggy cardigan over the top and grabbed my handbag. As I walked into the living room, Edward's eyes were focused on me contently.

"I think I need to show Bella something upstairs." He said as he gazed over my well dressed form. I tried to hold back a smile, wanting also for Edward to take me upstairs.

"No you don't! I didn't spend an hour getting Bella ready for you just rip her clothes of the first time you see her." I chuckled at Alice's comments, knowing that there was no way I would be allowed back up stairs. Alice threw me her car keys and gave me a meaningful look.

"Look after my baby! Don't get too comfortable because I want her back!" Alice pre warned. Did she really think that I wouldn't give it her back?

"Don't worry Alice. I'll do my best to smash it up." With that, I kissed Edward and he prolonged our embrace by wrapping his arms around me.

"Please don't be too long. I don't think I'll cope just for an hour." He chuckled in between kisses. He kissed the tip of my nose and released me from his warm hands.

"Don't worry baby. I wont be too long. Anyway you have everybody else for company. I'm sure Emmett would like to be shown who's boss in and arm wrestling contest." We both looked over to Emmett to see why he hadn't replied to my remark. He was usually the first to argue his case and show off his brutal strength. As we looked over, we noticed him strewn across the sofa with his t-short pulled up. He had his fingers in his belly button, wriggling them about. _Gross_.

"Emmett!" Edward called, trying to get him to stop acting like a total imbecile. Granted, that would be hard.

"Huh? Oh." He looked down to his hand which was still inside his belly. He removed it when he noticed he had company. He had a very childish grin on his face. Poor Rose.

"I was just saying to Edward how you would like to be shown who's boss in an arm wrestling match. But knowing where you hand has just been, I think he would rather pass then touch your fingers." I commented on Emmett's recent disgusting habits. Edward chuckled and smacked by bum cheekily. I laughed hard and kissed Edward one last time. Regrettably, I pulled away and called goodbye over my shoulder. I made my way into the garage and unlocked Alice's car. I wonder why she wanted me to ride her car?

As I pulled out of the garage, I saw Edward standing alone at the back with a sad look on his face. Bless him. I would make sure I would be as quick as possible, and maybe pick him up something extra special to make his day. My mind was swimming in ideas.

The ride to the mall was short lived as I put my foot down on the free way. Alice had told me that there would be no police on the ride there, so I could really push Alice's Porsche forward. Before we had decided to move on, Alice wasn't allowed to drive her 'baby' around because it would stand out too much. But seen as though were moving now, she can ride it all she wants. Who cares what people think when we wont ever see them again?

I pulled up in a car space that was right outside the entrance. The engine purred to a stop and I exited the car with a struggle. Even with my new found grace, it was incredibly hard to get out of a car this low down. Especially without spreading my legs. I'm sure Edward would love to hear of me putting everything on display the first time I go out alone. I shook my head, put my bag on my shoulder and locked up the car. I already had masses of people staring at me because of the canary yellow machine that I've driven.

I walked over to the entrance, very slowly because of my shoes, and searched for the store that I needed. The photo store was on the second floor if I remember correctly from my hazy human days. It was hard to walk unnoticed amongst the humans as I stood out so clearly. I hated attention as much as in my human days. At least I wouldn't be noticed for killing a person in front of everybody. My super self control took care of that.

I finally reached the photo store and headed straight in the direction of the printing booths. I didn't want to get my photos printed out by someone behind the counter because are very special and close to my heart. My memories are personal, not something to be shard with somebody I don't even know. Also, if they see me and Edward sparkling like diamonds on every picture, they might end up a little worried.

I plugged the memory card in from the camera and began browsing through the photos on the touch screen. I wanted to print them all out and make a photo album out of them. I also wanted to blow up a few pictures and buy nice frames for them to put in our new room in Alaska. I wanted Alaska to feel like home as close as it could possibly get. To be honest, I didn't know where home was any more.

I printed all of the photos in standard size and picked a photo which I wanted enlarged. It was of me and Edward lying on the beach together. I was in an extremely skimpy black bikini and Edward in trunks. It was incredible. The sand was almost snow white, and the ice blue water was lapping at our feet. Our hair was wild and we both had a huge smile on our faces. It was a memory we both never wanted to forget.

As I waited for the hundreds of photos to print, I noticed an advertisement for a new product that they are selling. Wallpaper printed with your photograph on. It looked incredible. The advert wasn't too clear, so I decided to ask the shop worker for a better description.

"Excuse me miss. Is that right about the wallpaper?" The shop worker was a middle aged, overweight women who looked utterly bored behind the counter. I could tell that she smoked at least twenty cigarettes a day buy the harsh, ashy smell about her. Her hair needed cutting desperately and also colouring to it's former glory. She had really let herself go. Her uniform consisted of a blue blouse, black trousers and a name tag. Unfortunately, the blouse did nothing for her figure except show how bad it was. Christ! I was turning into Alice!

"Erm yeah I suppose so. Its $49.95 for a standard sized wall in a photo of your choice." She stated in a dim way. She really lacked enthusiasm.

"Can I order one then?" I questioned, with quite a sarcastic tone to my voice to get more personality out of her.

***

After receiving my photos and wallpaper, I decided to head to a shop which sold photo frames. I found just what I was looking for in a home ware shop just a few yards down. I immediately made my way to the photo frames and started assessing the pros and cons of each one. With my brain now on super fast mode, it only took me a few seconds to choice which one I liked the best. It was a twisted silver design which looked so elegant and classy. The silver vines danced beautifully around the glass front, and showed to have new buds at the end, waiting to blossom into full flowers. It would look perfect on Edward's bedside table. I also found the same photo frame but bigger to house my enlarged photo, and an album in the same design. The front cover of the album simply said one word: 'Forever'. After paying at the checkout with the ridiculous credit card Edward had given me when I was still human, I decided to head home. I was loaded with shopping bags, and really just wanted to get home to see Edward. It is surprising how much I miss him after only a few hours.

As I walked to the entrance, I noticed a very classy lingerie shop to my right. Hmmm – why not? I'm sure Edward would very much appreciate it tonight. I walked in the shop to find an abundance of lace and silk displayed everywhere. What would he like? I spotted a simple but sexy black lace bra and matching panties which would look stunning against by pale skin. They had a similar red one next to it which I bet he would like even more. Now I was stuck on which set to get. The black one screamed elegance and beauty, where as the red one said passionate and raunchy.

I decided to get both.

Hell, they probably wont even last five minutes anyway with Edward ripping them off tonight. My phone buzzed as a sign that I had received a new text message. I took it out of my bag to find that it was off Alice. I opened it up to find:

_'Good Choices. Edward has already seen and is ecstatic right now. Please come home soon to keep him under control! Hehe. Oh and by the way, you will be shocked in a few minutes. You'll see why I dressed you up and let you drive my baby.  
__Alice xxx'_

Shocked? Why would I be shocked? Trying to work out what Alice had meant, I took my items to the till and paid for them once again on the extravagant credit card. I walked out of the shop, pretending to struggle with all my shopping bags just to seem normal. Just then, I noticed Mike, Tyler, Eric and Lauren from Forks High School. Great. Just great.

"Bella! Wow! What a surprise to see you here!" Mike exclaimed. Clearly he hasn't gotten over his little fantasies which involve me and him together in some way. Surely a wedding band on my finger would have stopped him, but apparently not.

"Yeah. Hey Mike." I said half heartedly. The others weren't far behind him, and they soon caught up.

"So where's Edward?" Mike questioned. I could tell by his voice that he really wanted me to tell him that were not together any more. Hah! Far from it.

"He's just at home helping pack everything up. Were moving back up to Alaska in a few days." I said, trying to get rid of everybody as quick as possible. Lauren's death glares really just made me laugh mentally.

"Oh right. I guess we wont see you again then. Here let me help you with your bags. What have you been buying?"

"Thanks Mike. I've just been organising a surprise for Edward." Mike looked down to the lingerie bag that I had in my hands. He eyes immediately looked let down as he took in what I meant buy _surprise_. I gave him a smile and handed him some bags which he offered to carry.

"So how are you?" We began to walk towards where the car was parked. Honestly, I felt quite sorry for Mike. Obviously things hadn't worked out with Jessica, and he looked as sad as I have ever seen him.

"I'm okay I guess. I'm still working at my parents place."

"Oh. Haven't you got plans for college?" I asked, surprised to see that he was giving up everything.

"No. My mom's ill so I'm working extra shifts at the shop." Now I felt really guilty for being so happy. Mike was obviously having a hard time at the moment.

"I'm sorry to hear that Mike. Look, I'll still be in town for a few days so maybe we could meet up? Here's my number. Phone me if you want to go out." Maybe it would be nice to see him one last time.

We arrived at my car and Mike's face said it all. I could tell he was feeling a range of emotions. They included happiness to see me and the car, sad because of learning that I was still with Edward, worried because of his mother and so on. I loaded the bags in the back and asked Mike if he needed a ride anywhere. Tyler, Eric and Lauren had walked off minutes ago in their own direction. Poor Mike.

"Sure. Thanks Bella. I'm needed back at the store in an hour."

"The store it is." I sat in the car and watched Mike struggle to get in so low. Edward would have loved to have seen that. I put the key in the engine, pulled out of the parking lot and entered the free way. I had to turn the music down because of Mike's human ears and soon he began to chat happily about himself. I was never much a fan of talking. I added the occasional head nod and "yeah" here and there, but apart from that, I didn't talk much. Mike was too astonished by the speed at which I was driving to from any interesting conversation. I swear he couldn't keep his eyes off my left hand the whole time it was wrapped around the steering wheel.

We soon arrived at Newton's Olympic Outfitters, and I pulled over on the side.

"It was nice to see you again Mike." I said, trying to draw our meeting to a close so I could get back home into Edward's welcoming arms.

"Yeah and you Bella. I'll miss you, you know."

"Thanks Mike. I'll miss you too."

"I've gotta say though, you look really happy. Plus you look amazing as well. I guess a month on a private island did wonders for you." He looked me up and down, noticing my new vampire changes. If Edward were here, I'm sure he would have been close to ripping Mike's head off with his lustrous thoughts.

"Thanks. Call me before I leave. I bet Edward would love to see you again." I called as he exited the car and walked away. Edward would have a right laugh seeing Mike again.

"Bye Bella. Hope Edward enjoys his surprise tonight." He shouted, even though I could have heard him if he whispered. Mike wasn't to know.

I made my way back home after another eventful day. Now I understand why Alice was all funny with me earlier. She wanted me to show off in front of Mike and show him how happy I was. I didn't need a flashy sports car and a designer outfit to tell him that. I was beaming.

_A/N: Wow that was a long one! Thank you to everyone who reviewed my last chapter! It really does brighten up my day to see so many reviews. So how did you like this chapter? It's taken me all day to write, so please review and tell me what you think of it. I may not update for a few days, so please tell me what you want to happen in the next chapters. Also a big thanks to Cheese Fan who has given me some great ideas to work with!  
Katie x  
P.S PLEASE REVIEW!!!_


	5. Chapter 5: Surprsies

Chapter 5: Surprises

_A/N: Sorry I havn't updated as fast, but I only got three reviews for the last chapter. Please review and tell me what you think – even if it's bad! At least that way I can change the story to how you like it best! The more reviews I get, the faster I'll update!  
Please suggest things you would like to happen later in the Fanfic. I have planned what I think will happen, but if you want something else, then please feel free to review or PM me.  
So here it is!  
Katie x_

  
As I pulled into the cavernous garage, I saw Edward standing there waiting for me. He looked as white as a ghost – paler than usual. I rushed out of the car and over to him, wrapping my arms around him fiercely. I hadn't realised until now how much I'd actually missed him.

"I knew I should have gone with you! When I saw what Alice had predicted, I really prayed that you would be okay." Edward said hurriedly, trying to apologize for something which wasn't his fault.

"Don't worry about it. It was only Mike Newton of all people. I soon put him in is place. You know, I actually felt quite sorry for him. Especially when he saw what your surprise included!" I reassured, hoping to divert Edward's attention to his 'surprise' later.

"And what surprise would that be, Mrs Cullen?"

"You'll find out tonight." I smiled widely, proud that I could actually keep something from him. Tonight will be magical. I released him from my bear tight hug to carry my bags in from the car.

"Come here – let me help you with those."

"No you're not! I don't want you seeing what I've brought until later! Go and find Alice and give her the car key back will you?" I said trying to get him out of the way so he didn't see what I've brought.

"Okay, Okay I'm going! But hurry up Mrs Cullen because I don't want to and don't think I can wait until tonight." He winked before exiting the garage. I picked up all the bags and quickly ran upstairs before anyone noticed me. I quickly whizzed into our huge closet and dumped the bags in the far corner, out of sight. I would have to get started on the photo album soon if I wanted to give it to him later.

After a few hours of contemplating which photos should go where in the album, I thought I had finally finished it. On the front page I placed my favourite photo; the one I had enlarged. In my now neat handwriting, I wrote:

_'Isle Esme. Our honeymoon.'_

I also added the date the photo was taken and the date of our marriage. In small script underneath my other writing, I added in italics:

_'Forever.'_

***  
_  
_After filling out the beautiful photo album with our most sensuous memories, I had a spark of imagination for the first time in my life. I ran into Alice's room and located the hundreds of tea lights that she uses for all of our special occasions. Closing the door behind me, I began to slowly place the tea lights on every surface imaginable and light them one by one. The room looked magical. It took me a while to light every candle, but when I did, the room looked liked it belonged to Romeo and Juliet. It was so romantic and loving that I my eyes wanted to well up just at the sight of it. Of course, I could no longer cry, but if I were a human I would most definitely be in floods of tears by now. Who said we needed Alice to arrange everything?

I chuckled to myself as I decided that it was time to hunt out the risqué lingerie from my shopping trip earlier. I undressed and slipped on the red set thinking _why not?_ Tonight was definitely never going to be forgotten. I lay down on the huge bed in our room, and placed the photo album in front of me. Edward was dying downstairs to come and meet me. All it took was for me to whisper his name and he was standing in the doorway faster than he has ever done before. He stood there shocked for a few seconds, then gradually took in the whole room. The candles glistened in the darkness as the brown haired beauty lay waiting on the bed.

"Was it worth the wait Mr Cullen?" I said, raising one eyebrow like they do in the movies.

"Hmmm it most certainly was." He walked over to me, teasing both of us with his slow pace.

"Wait! I have another surprise for you!" I picked up the weighty album and passed it to him. Realisation hit his face as he understood what it was that I had been working on all day. He ran his hand over the front cover and traced the letters of – _Forever_ – one by one. He sat down on the bed, pulled me into his arms and turned to the front page. I sat nestled in his soothing arms, carefully reading his face. I have only ever seen Edward this touched before. The first time was our wedding day. The second time was now, in this very room.

We sat for hours in silence, reliving the very moments in the photographs. It felt as if we were still on Isle Esme, with the wind blowing through our hair, and the cool ocean breeze filling our lungs. It felt as if nothing else existed in this world. Only the here and now; Edward and me. We were equals, and would live like that for eternity. I could not contemplate living a single second without Edward's company. We were together. _Forever_.

Edward turned the last page, lifted his head and gently kissed me on the forehead.

"Thank you. That was the nicest thing anybody has ever done for me. Apart from when you agreed to be my wife. My soul mate." Trying to form coherent words, but failing, I pointed over to the far wall where our huge picture rested. It hung gracefully from the wall in it's delicate frame, symbolizing our eternal love for each other. His eyes lightened as he studied every fine detail of the magical moment caught on photo.

"There's another surprise in our new house. I had Jasper and Emmett fix it up today." Both were currently up in Alaska helping with the renovations to the new house.

Without saying a word, Edward pulled me closer to him so I straddled his lap. I kissed him passionately, not coming up for air. He deepened the kisses until we fell back against the bed and continued off into the night. He certainly appreciated the surprise of saucy lingerie by the brightness of his eyes.

Not even an hour into our lovemaking, my phone started buzzing from the bedside table.

"Ugh!" Edward moaned, breaking our grasp only for a second to look at the screen and press 'Ignore' to stop it from ringing.

"Who was it babe?" I muttered in between broken kisses.

"Mike Newton of all people, and he's not disrupting me now." Ugh. I told him to ring me, and of course he would have to pick a time which angered us.

"Screw Mike Newton!" I moaned as I deepened our embraces into something which I would not ever want to pull out of. We continued for minutes until my phone started ringing again.

"Just answer it love then he wont disturb us again." At this point, I had to pull away and retrieve my phone which I had thrown at the wall in anger. I sat back on the bed in Edward's lap before answering to an annoying Mike Newton.

"Hey Mike.

"Hey Bella. Why didn't you pick up the first time?"

"Me and Edward are kinda busy." I giggled as Edward kissed trails up and down my neck and played with the bra straps around my shoulders.

"Oh." Realisation was evident in his voice as he understood what we were doing

"So what did you want Mike?" I questioned, trying my best to speed up the conversation.

"Erm, I, err was wandering if you and Edward wanted to meet up some time before you leave?"

"Hurry up darling I can't wait much longer." Edward moaned. He was as desperate for tonight to restart as much as I was. I'm sure that Mike heard over the phone, but was dragging our conversation out even longer just to annoy us.

"Yeah sure Mike. When do you want to meet up? Is tomorrow okay?" I questioned.

"That's perfect. 3 o clock at the coffee house in Seattle?" Coffee. My worst nightmare. I re-plastered a convincing smile on my face to reply to Mike.

"Okay Mike we'll see you there. Bye."

"Wait up Bella we've hardly spoke. So how are you?" Edward gently took the phone from my hand and put it to his ear. Hopefully Edward wouldn't go too overboard with cutting the conversation with Mike.

"Sorry Mike but Bella needs to see to the problem in my pants. We're rather busy." Mike went silent on the line and then muttered: "Bye", obviously embarrassed and disheartened by Edward's remark. At least we got rid of him.

"Right where were we before we were rudely interrupted Mrs Cullen?"

***

Before we had to go and see Mike, we had to go and say our final good byes to Charlie. Today would be hard enough without Mike to top it off. We were already in the car heading towards Charlie's house in Forks. I just don't know how to tell Charlie that we're leaving and wont ever see him again. I may ask Edward to step in if things become too hard. But no, he is my father, and this is my job, and I will have to do it.

We pulled up on the pavement next to my rustic red truck and the police cruiser. Nothing had changed since we've been here last. Before we had even walked half way up the driveway, Charlie was twitching at the curtains to see who it was. As soon as he saw us, he jumped up instantaneously to greet us at the door. That made me feel even worse for what I was about to do to him.

"Bells! You're here! I havn't seen you in months!" He ran over to us and pulled me into a massive bear hug. My throat burned, but I wasn't bothered about it today. Nothing was going to stop me from seeing my father for one last time.

"I know Dad. I'm so pleased to see you too." I managed to say in between the massive hugs that he was giving me. Edward stayed like a rock at my side, helping me through the pain of loosing him, and the pain of being in his presence.

Finally, Charlie pulled away and straightened up to greet Edward.

"Edward." Charlie nodded his head, but Edward always being the gentleman, held out his hand for Charlie to shake. Edward stood their smiling, obviously to Charlie's thoughts.

"You look great Bells." Charlie stated, proud of his newly wed daughter. If only he knew.

"Thanks Dad. Lets go inside. We need to talk with you."

"Okay -" Edward held my hand all the way, reassuring me constantly. As we got inside, I went to sit down on the couch, and Edward followed and wrapped his arms around me. Gradually, Charlie filed in and turned the baseball game off. He could tell we were serious.

"So you needed to talk? What's this about Bella?" I stuttered for a while and finally came to the conclusion to just get it out. Edward soothed circles on my stomach, all the while, trying to sooth me.

"I'm really sorry Dad but were leaving." There I said it.

_A/N: Really sorry its quite short and for the cliffy but I felt like the chapter was finished when Bella said that they are leaving. How do you think Charlie will react? Please review and tell me what you think!!!!  
Katie x  
P.S PLEASE REVIEW!!!_


	6. Chapter 6: Finality

Chapter 6: Finality

_A/N: Thank you so much for all your reviews, for subscribing to story alert and adding "Midnight" to your favourite list! It brightens my day up so much to see that you are all enjoying it! Sorry to the people who wanted Renesmee in the story, but this is my personal choice :) Hope you enjoy the chapter! Please Review loads more!!!  
Also, a special thanks to the readers who continue reading, reviewing and supporting me throughout the whole fic.  
Kisses,  
Katie x_

"You're what!" Oh great, so it was going to be like this. Now he's just making it even harder for all of us.

"I'm sorry Dad but we're moving up to Alaska. We've got family up there and we want to make a fresh start as a married couple." It took Charlie a whole three minutes to turn back to his usual skin shade. He was fuming.

"I know it's come as a shock Charlie and we really don't want to upset you. It's hard on all of us, but it's what we think is best." Edward comforted. It seems as if Charlie was having none of it today though.

"Shock? SHOCK?! I think I'm a little passed shocked since my daughter married straight out of high school and left me!" That hit below the belt.

"Dad! You know I love Edward!" Charlie was actually starting to irritate me even though I was depressed by breaking the news to him. I really didn't want to do this to Charlie. He had helped me when I needed him the most, and now I was abandoning him. He should nominate me for daughter of the year award.

"Charlie you know how much it will upset us both to be away from you, but I'm afraid I cant do anything about that except reassure you that we will phone constantly and visit whenever we can." Edward really was trying his best to smooth things over. I snuggled into him closer on the sofa, needing his warm hands wrapped around me even tighter for comfort.

Charlie frantically stood up out of the arm chair and began pacing back and forth across the room. This reminded me of the time that he tried to have a sex talk with me about Edward. Little did he know that we were very old fashioned in our ways. I looked up into Edward's eyes, to see if I could deduce anything from him of Charlie's thoughts. All I could see in them was worry and devotion to me. He looked down into my golden eyes.

"Love you." I whispered so low that Charlie's human ears couldn't detect it. Edward smiled at me lovingly.

"Love you too."

***

After another hour of calming Charlie down and reassuring him, he finally came to terms of the situation. We constantly reassured him that we would make the trip and come to see him often. I couldn't promise for how long I would do this, as we didn't want him becoming suspicious as to why I did not look a day older. I really did feel bad for what I had just done, but it was over now, and it was for the best. The hard part was over. The tougher part was to come; Mike. I grimaced at how ironic that sounded. Surely a pathetic love struck teenage boy was nothing compared to a menacing vampire couple. I liked the idea of _menacing_.

We were now back in the car and on our way to our planned destination to meet Mike. He had suggested meeting at the Coffee House; the most popular café in Forks. That was probably due to the fact that it was the only one. We pulled up outside the café right on time, to find Mike leaning against the opposing lamppost. He really did look down in the dumps. Driving in Edward's Vanquish, Mike's eyes popped wide at the sight of us pulling in.

"I am so looking forward to this." I joked with Edward whilst we were still situated in the car.

"I know how you feel. I've missed my best friend – good old Mike Newton!" Edward chuckled and my favourite crooked grin leapt across his perfect, god like face.

"Hey! He's my best friend! Hands off!" I needed to joke to forget about the unfortunate events with Charlie. Hopefully Edward would do his best at distracting me tonight. Well that's not too hard, now is it?

We exited the car, and I had to remind myself to keep at a human pace.

"Mike! How are you doing?" Edward asked politely, obviously trying to break the icy barrier between the two of them.

"Hello. It's nice to see you both." Mike smiled, cautious of Edward's close proximity. Even now, people still have a natural fear of being too close to us, but Mike doesn't seem to realise that he should have that fear with me too. I joined Edward's side and took his arm, leading him into the overpriced, shabby café. We got shown to a small table in the back right hand corner of the room. Great. Now I would have to choke down the coffee. Mike still looked upset over something important in his life as he took the seats opposite to me and Edward. Edward pulled me closer to him, attaching me to his side. Just the way I like it.

The table was small and dark, compacting us together even closer. I tried not to breath as much as possible, but too be honest, Mike smelt quite repulsive to me. Even still, I still knew that there was a chance to slip up. How would I explain that I had just drained a human boy of his blood in the middle of a busy coffee house? Mike, still acting sheepish, began to ask Edward questions about our honey moon and new life in Alaska.

"So what happened after the wedding Edward?" Mike commented, at least he was being friendly enough. Even Edward could see that, so he tried to leave out the details where Mike might become even more upset.

"We took a two long flights to Rio, then boarded the boat to the island. It was lovely at night time. The water glistened. We spent about a month on the island then came home." Edward smiled. God I love him so much. I remember the time we sailed out to the island. I hadn't got a clue where we were heading, and I had to put my full trust into Edward. It shows how much he means to me. Mike noticed my beaming smile, thinking back to the perfect holiday I had with my glorious husband.

"That sound lovely. I bet you had the time of your lives." Mike suggested. He really didn't know that it definitely the time of my life. The last time of my life – my human life.

"It definitely was." I chuckled. Edward smiled down at me, knowing what I was thinking without being able to read my mind.

At that point, the a friendly looking girl cam to our table to take the order. She was obviously doing this job just to get a bit of money for shopping, but still, she seemed chirpy enough. Jobs are hard to come by in Forks, so she was probably trying her best to to get dismissed. She had bright red hair, split in two plaits on either side of her face. Of course she was pale because of the dreadful weather in Forks, and brown speckles rested upon her nose and cheeks. She was dressed in a chequered shirt and apron. She epitomized a classic small town girl.

"Can I take your order?" She asked with a huge smile on her face. I noticed her staring contently at Edward, and so I made it a point to pick up the menu with my left hand, showing her my wedding rings. I just realised that I hadn't got the faintest clue of what to order. My mind went blank. I started searching through the menu list, until I found the classic house coffee and a piece of plain cake. That will do I thought to myself.

"Order what you want Mike. We'll take care of it." Edward said, smiling brightly at Mike. Mike sat their for a few seconds to regain his composure, He really didn't expect to hear that.

"Err thanks Edward but I can take care of myself."

"Don't worry about it Mike. Our treat."

"Okay then. I'll have the house coffee and a slice of chocolate cake."He said to the waiter. To my surprise, Edward ordered the same, as I thought he would just stick to the coffee.

"How's your Mom doing Mike?" I asked. A few seconds later I regretted it. His face immediately showed the pain he was trying to suppress. Trust my bog mouth to upset him even more.

"She's not to great at the moment. She gets her test results back in a few days. The doctors think it might me cancer."

"Oh Mike I'm really sorry," My hand flew up to my mouth in shock, "I honestly didn't mean to upset you even more!" Now I really felt bad for poor Mike.

"It's okay Bella, really. Don't feel bad for me. I've got some good news anyway! And a bit of a surprise as well." Thank goodness that we had something happy from Mike to talk about. I wonder what he meant by a surprise?

"Tell us Mike!" Edward said in a fake enthusiastic voice. Mike wouldn't be able to detect that it was quite fake because of his weak human hearing.

"My Mom and Dad asked me to take over the store, so now I'm the manager of Newtons Olympic Outfitters." He sated proudly. Even his chest puffed out four millimetres, to be precise. I could tell there was more that he was happy about, but I didn't want to just say: 'Is that all?'. That would have been really rude. I am actually so pleased that he's got some more responsibility in his life now. I think that if he didn't have the responsibility, he would probably make a ruin of his life.

"Wow Mike that's really great!" I said, chuffed to bits that he was on the mend.

"That's really good Mike. I'm pleased for you." Edward said and calmly shook Mike's hand over the table. To my astonishment, they were really getting on very well. I wondered how long this would last when another familiar face walked through the door and into the café. Jessica Stanley.

She spotted us in the corner, long after me and Edward had seen her. We didn't make out that we could see her, but we both tensed up at the formidable character walking towards us. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that Jess had noticed Edward's arm wrapped around my waist casually. She didn't look too impressed by what she saw. As Jess reached our table, Mike noticed her presence.

"Jess! You made it!" Mike rejoiced. Obviously this was his 'surprise'. I think I would have preferred the Volturi sitting opposite me that Jessica Stanley.

"Hey Jess. What a surprise to see you here." I said casually, trying to to sound too impressed by her arrival. I didn't want her thinking that I've missed he at all. Ha! Far from it!

"Oh. Hey Jess." Edward said, also sounding like he didn't want her here. I could assume Jess's thoughts, just by watching Edward cringe at whatever he heard. She was practically drooling at my husband the whole time she stood in front of us.

"Jess take a seat." Mike said, raising his hand to demonstrate the seat next to him. He also waved the waitress back over to order what Jess wanted as well.

"Bella, Edward, this was my surprise for you. Me and Jess are now back together!" I tried to feign a surprised look on my face, resulting in me looking similar to a gold fish. Edward just sat there smiling, showing no emotion at all. He was probably beating himself up inside for bringing us both here.

"How great!" I said, plastering a smile on my face. These two were made for each other.

Finally, the waitress came over with our orders to save us from this diabolical conversation about Jessica Stanley of all people. We both tried to gulp down the coffee and cake as best as we could, but Jessica's stares at _my _husband, left me feeling rather sick.

"So I hear you're both moving up to Alaska?"Jessica questioned to see if her worst nightmare had come true. She didn't want to be any farther away from Edward Cullen, even if he is now married. It seems as though I would have to bring her down a peg or two if she carries this on.

"Yes. We're moving tomorrow actually." I said, in my snootiest voice possible. I really hatred to be quite bitchy, but Jess definitely deserved it.

"What are you both doing later? We could go to a movie in Port Angeles if you liked?" Mike asked. Poor boy. Did he really think that I would want to spend any more time with Jess?

"Sorry Mike but we're going car shopping." Did I just hear Edward right? I craned my neck to look up into his eyes, with a shocked expression playing around on my face.

"Car shopping?" I asked.

"I meant it to be a surprise, but we had better look at the dealerships around here because there aren't many good ones in Alaska."

"Okay that sounds great." I smiled, looking back to see Jess's face turn a deeper shade of green. She would soon look like a monster if she kept getting even more jealous.

"It will give you chance to properly break it in on the way up there as well if you like?" Edward asked. Could my life be any more perfect? I smiled at him and whispered thanks into his ear, too low for Mike and Jess to hear. Edward kissed my cheek, where it was leaning against his.

After choking down the cake and coffee, I really did just want to get out of there, and away from the vile Jessica Stanley.

"Sorry Mike but we've got to be heading off if we want to get Bella's car today." Edward politely said. I thought he couldn't read my mind. We left a twenty dollar bill down on the table and stood up to put our jackets on.

"We'll hopefully see you both soon! I hope everything works out for you both." I said, trying to be as nice as possible. I didn't want them thinking badly of me. Edward picked up his car keys and wrapped his arm around me once more. His arm seriously felt like home these days. It was magical.

"Bye. Thanks for today guys." Mike gestured. If anything, Jess didn't even deserve Mike. He was so polite and friendly, that it was hard to believe that Jess was his second choice to the dances in Forks High School.

"Bye Edward,_ Bella_." Jess choked out.

We walked out of the café, just as the sun was dimming in the sky. It wasn't a bright day, but we needed to hurry around the dealerships. I had promised Alice, Rosalie and Esme that we would have a girly film night later. We reached the car and sat down. It took Edward minutes to turn on the engine, as we were both in laughing fits. Jess's face was absolutely priceless.

_A/N: Thanks once again to everyone that has reviewed so far. Please review and tell me what you think! Your opinions count! The next chapter should be posted in a few days, but in the mean time please review me! Just to let you know, the next chapter will be in the car dealerships and the girly movie night. The girls will get into a pretty deep conversation about not having children. Thanks to 'Twilight Addit 14' for this idea. :)  
Katie x  
P.S PLEASE REVIEW!!!! _


	7. Chapter 7: Cars and Conversations

Chapter 7: Cars and Conversations

_A/N: Thank you for all your support so far during my first fan fiction. I really appreciate all the reviews, favourites and story alerts. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Some ideas from this chapter are from 'Twilight Addit 14', so a big thanks to you!  
Hope you enjoy the chapter!  
Katie x  
P.S PLEASE REVIEW!!!  
BTW, you can see pics of the cars involved on my profile page!_

After meeting with Mike and a green faced Jessica, we made our way home first to get some ideas to which dealerships we would like to go to. Hopefully, Rose would have some great ideas at the ready. I really didn't want a swanky sports car, just maybe a new truck which would get me out and about. I really like to drive fast since being transformed, but hopefully, a new truck would go over the limit of fifty five miles per hour which my previous one did. I loved that truck to death, but since it's downfall, it really just doesn't live up to my expectations any more. Of course, I can already predict that Edward will try and get me in a small sports car, I didn't need to be Alice for that.

Edward began looking on one of the laptops for information on which dealerships were in the area. The only one I wanted to go to was Chevrolet, but everybody was insisting on others.

"If you want a new Chevy, Bella, then you should have a look at the new Captiva." Emmett suggested.

"Hang on, I'll have a look at it on the internet. Thanks Emmett." I replied gratefully. At least Emmett wasn't trying to get me to have the latest Ferrari. At times, Emmett can actually be quite smart and also emotional. His body builder façade doesn't explain who the real Emmett is. I walked – more like skipped- over to Edward and he pulled his chair back slightly so I could sit on his lap. Edward minimized the Audi web page and began to type in 'Chevrolet Captiva'. As soon as the page uploaded, I was surprised by Emmett's intelligence. It was perfect. It was me.

"Emmett you're a genius!" I called over in the direction of the television. The new Chevrolet, didn't have a bed like my old one, it looked more like a four by four. The soft curves, but stability of the truck made it perfect for me. I looked down at Edward in anticipation of the new car I liked, but he seemed a little disappointed that I didn't want something more _flashy_. I stroked his cheek, and he smiled, the sort of smile that has been forced onto a face.

"Are you sure that's what you want? I would really like to take you to the Audi garage to have a look at one I found." Edward commented, a little upset that I didn't give any other cars a chance.

"Of course I'll go with you to Audi but I'm afraid that I've already fallen in love with the Chevy." I chuckled, and he seemed a bit brighter now that I had agreed to go with him to Audi.

"Come on then, lets go." He lifted me up gently to set me on my feet. He swooped down to kiss the tip of my nose, but continued further until he found my lips.

"Get a room!" Emmett shouted, making gagging noises. We both laughed as I pulled away to pick up my coat and bag.

"Hang on a sec let me just get some money."

"Aren't you paying by card?" I questioned, surprised at the comment he just made.

"It's a surprise. So don't try and find out." Edward said seductively before kissing me once again. I felt week at the knees every time he kissed me, even if I couldn't faint now.

"You're going to love it!" Alice chirped running down the stairs with make up in hand. She came crashing towards me with a brush in here hand.

"No Alice! I'm only going to get a car!" I screamed, trying to bat her away.

"You always need to look your best!"

"She always looks her best!" Edward exclaimed. Alice quickly tried to reapply the make up whilst I was distracted by Edward's voice.

"Bella it will only take a minute – so keep still!" At this point, I had had enough of trying to get the evil pixie off of me, so I just shut down and kept still, long enough for her to add some more blush and mascara.

"Okay that's enough! Come on Edward!" This time, I forcefully pulled away from her and literally dragged Edward to the garage. He, like all of my other family members, were in hysterics. We loaded the Vanquish and sped out of the garage. Edward, like always, held my hand with one, and drove with the other.

"Where are we going first?" I asked. He was sure to take me on a detour around places like Ferrari, Porsche, Mercedes. The list goes on.

"Don't be mad but please can we go to Audi before Chevrolet? If you don't like anything there then we can go straight to Chevy and pick up the Captiva." Edward explained carefully, wary of my changing mood swings. He knew that I didn't want him to spend a lot of money on me. I don't deserve it.

"Okay." I sighed. I didn't want to make Edward unhappy by refusing. He would only take me there if there was a reason. We drove into Seattle, very fast of course, until we reached the Audi dealership . It's exteriors were glossy and chic, just like the cars they produce. The glass fronted walls reminded me of the Cullen's house style; white and glass. The cars in the front of the windows were overly extrovert and overly priced. Granted, they were beautiful cars, but it wasn't a necessity for me to have one. Before Edward turned off the engine, he revved the car, causing the sales people inside to stop what they were doing and stare. Edward chuckled a very mysterious laugh. I turned to him with a questioning look on my face, about to ask him what that was about when he answered quickly.

"It creates a good impression, love." Edward said shrugging his shoulders. What does he mean by a good impression? Surely the money we had, the car we drove here and the love we shared together was a _good_ enough impression. We shouldn't have to explain ourselves to anyone.

Edward, as always, came around to open my door for me and to take my hand. We walked casually into the dealership with everybody around gawking at us. Even though I couldn't hear what they were thinking, like Edward can, I could presume the majority of the topics on their mind.

"What do they think of us?" I asked Edward, unsure of actually whether they have taken to us, or if they have that natural instinct to keep a distance. I noticed that Edward looked up to one man in particular, then turned his gaze to a woman at a sales desk across the open space.

"They are getting on my nerves already!" Edward stated, annoyed by what these vultures were thinking.

"Who is annoying you?" I asked, unsure of whether he meant in general or those two people he was glaring at. The only other people I have seen Edward glare at are Mike Newton, Jessica Stanley and others who have tried to ask me out in the past. Of course there were the Volturi, but I don't really class those as people. More like vermin.

"It doesn't matter. It will only upset you." I made a mental note to ask him about this later.

We began looking at the cars. A few stood out to me, but I was still determined to get my Chevy, despite the temptations Edward laid in my path. I saw one car in particular that really stood out. And of course, it was the most expensive car there. When a lady came over to help us, Edward immediately wrapped his arm around me and began nuzzling my neck. I could tell what _this_ woman was thinking.

"Can I help you with anything?" The woman asked, wary of Edward's wedding band on his finger, glistening in the light.

"Would you like to test drive this one, love?" I really wanted to. It looked fast and impressive. Edward saw past my façade of only wanting the Chevy. I was bound to fall in love with a car if its _this_ good.

"Err, um..."

"Can we test drive this one please." Edward stated. He knew me better than I knew myself.

"But Edward I do really just want a Chevy." I lied. This car was gorgeous. But then again, the Chevy was more practical, and it would blend in better at high school.

"Why not have both?" Edward smiled. He was so gorgeous when he smiled. He could light up the whole room, just by moving his lips. I was temporarily distracted by his beauty until I realised what he was actually saying.

"Both?! Edward no. That's too much! No way." The Audi in front of me sparkled. It was like it was yelling at me to buy it. This was insane. This Audi R8V10 was just too much for me. I couldn't do it any justice. The woman organised the test drive. We had to wait half an hour until we could drive it, so Edward pulled me to sit down with him on the plush seats provided. He pulled me onto his lap and rested his head on my shoulder.

"Bella the money's not a problem. You can have what you want. Even if it's a whole fleet if Ferrari's. They're yours if you want them."

"Edward even if I did want that, I wouldn't let you waste you money on it." I responded. I must admit that I was totally blown away by his devotion to getting me a sports car.

"Our money, Bella. Everything I have is yours. You know that." Edward pulled out his phone to text somebody – Alice I presume. He was up to something but I just dropped it, not wanting to yell at him for trying to buy me something nice. How ironic did that sound?

Before long, I was back from the test drive and absolutely blown away by this car's power. It was incredible and exhilarating. I had to have it. Poor Chevy. I really did love it. We signed the papers for the ownership, and ordered the Audi in a shimmering, deep blue. Everything had to blue. We had to pick up the car in a few hours from a separate garage.

We decided to wait in the dealership for a while. Edward had said that he needed to sort a few things out and to learn more details about the car. Something was up. I waited in the foyer for what seemed like ages, just because Edward was not with me. It seemed silly, but every moment I spent away from the love of my life felt like an eternity. It felt even longer because all of the men in the shop were drooling over me. I rested my left hand on my knee to show everyone my wedding ring, determined to get rid of them before Edward got back and ripped their heads off. That would probably be fun, I laughed to myself. I must have had about ten admirers by the time I had to flash my ring. They soon dispersed one by one, disappointed by the loss. However, one man, still insisted that he had to come over and talk to me. He was sick. I saw him approaching and wished Edward was with me. He was middle aged and balding on top. His miss match of hideous cloths stood out from a mile off. Did he really think he had a chance? I turned away from him and stood up to get some water our of the little fountain. I wouldn't drink it but at least I would be a bit farther away from him. Against my better wishes, the man still continued walking in my direction. Before long, Edward appeared out of now where, eyes as black as onyx. He cradled me in his arms and kissed me passionately until this idiot of a man walked away.

"Thank you." I whispered.

***  
I followed Edward home in my new car, speeding down the curves in the Cullen's drive. It drove with such beauty and elegance, that it resembled my transformation into a vampire. I was no longer clumsy and accident prone. I pulled up outside the front of the house, in the understanding that we would have to shuffle the cars about in the garage so I could squeeze in my new Audi R8V10. Surprisingly, Edward was no where in sight, so I climbed out of the car and ran at vampire speed into the garage, presuming he would be there.

I opened the door to find everybody standing in the garage in an awkward formation. The formation reminded me of the Volturi's positions in the throne room in Volterra. It looked as if they were protecting something, or hiding something from me. Their faces were full of anticipation and excitement – even Carlisle. Confusion entered my features until they all parted and shouted surprise in unison. As they parted, a blue Chevrolet Captiva made it's presence known by Emmett beeping the horn loudly. He had quickly leapt into the cab to honk it for me. I was absolutely stunned and lost for words. Edward pulled me into a tight embrace until Emmett shouted again to 'Get a room'. We both laughed, but Edward still held me close.

"I told you we could get both." He laughed.

I loved both cars incredibly so. I could drive wild and free in the Audi, but keep up pretences and drive us to school in my new truck. Could my life be any more perfect? Bright flashes erupted in the room. I located their origin, and found Esme taking photos, documenting key points in our life. I loved having photos to remind us of our favourite parts, but there were so many favourite parts that it was hard to keep up.

"Film night tonight!" Alice jumped up and down, squealing with joy. She was the most positive person I have ever come across. Her enthusiasm was something that nobody could mess with.

"Carlisle, Emmett, Edward and Jasper, leave now to go hunting. Esme, Rosalie and Bella, go and pick a film each that you want to watch. I'll go and sort out the beauty essentials for tonight." Alice ordered before adding, "Does any body have any questions?" Alice was annoying, but Alice was Alice. You couldn't change her even if you tried, and we all love her for who she is. Alice was running tonight in military precision. I think she picked that up from Jasper when he was in the military.

***

After parking the new car next to the Chevy, I joined the others in the main living room to chose out a film to watch. Rosalie and Alice had both picked out cliché vampire films that we have watched time and time again, and Esme had opted for Dirty Dancing. I shuddered, trying to repress the thoughts of Carlisle and Esme together. That was just wrong, I thought to my self.

I searched through the mountains of films until I came across the new remake of Wuthering Heights. It was pushed to the back, and I wondered who had moved it there. I'm surprised that Alice had hid it. I would have thought that she would have burned it by now.

"Not again Bella!" Alice shouted. I had put Esme, Rosalie and Alice through the torture of them watching this every single time we had a movie night, and the times in between. It was my favourite, and I had to sit through their films as well. I heard sighs from Rosalie and Alice, but Esme didn't complain; she too like the epic love drama between Cathy and Heathcliff. I think that Esme had gone to see this play and read it when it first came out all of those years ago.

"Who's film is first Alice?" I asked her. Seen as though she had organised tonight. It was her choice. Esme's movie was first, and before long, we were all singing along to the words of the infamous music from Dirty Dancing. It was a lot of fun, but ended all too soon when the credits came up at the end. Alice was curling Rose's hair, Rose was painting my nails, and Esme was also doing curling duties with my hair. We went through this routine every movie night and would swap around duties after every movie.

We watched Rose's and Alice's movies, and laughed at how ironic the vampire films were. They hadn't got a clue about how real we were. Garlic and holy crosses were pathetic against us. It would take a lot more than that to frighten us off and kill us. Instead of being scary films, these movies were more like comedies to us.

Finally, we reached my film choice, and I was curling Esme's hair whilst Alice painted her nails. Rose was now curling Alice's hair. I loaded the film in the player and let the film take me into my own little places. It is like that with Edward. When I am in my happy place with Edward, nothing matters other than the two of us. When Heathcliff and Cathy take me to a happy place, I am wrapped up in the drama and tension of the film. It is quite spectacular.

We came to the bit of the drama where Cathy gives birth to her daughter. We were all holding back tearless sobs. It hot Esme worse than the rest of us. Only now that I have joined my family in immortality can I understand and comprehend what the females of the Cullen's must live through everyday. I bet even the male have a hard time. It is not only us girls that crave the need to have children.

"I really do understand where you are all coming from now. I didn't realise how desperate my new was for a child until now." I said, trying to get us to talk about it and release all of the pent-up frustration from this part of the movie.

"It's hard Bella, but we just have to live with it now. At least we have each other to help us through the tough parts." Rosalie comforted. This is only the second time that she has talked to me this openly. The first time was when she came into my room when Edward was hunting to tell me her story. Her story was incredibly heart felt and emotional, but without it, she wouldn't have Emmett.

"Having Jasper definitely helps me. He feels the same as I do. We both crave children, but fate put us in this life together, and so we should be grateful that we have each other." Alice added.

"I would rather have Carlisle for eternity. I love him so deeply, that I don't think I would want to go back to being human. I love this life, and if children aren't a part of that, then I must live with it." Esme said warmly. Esme always had a way of saying something that we can all refer to. She truly knows how hard it is for each of us, and so can comfort us so easily.

"I'm really sorry Bella f I've been harsh on you. Please don't take it personally." Rose said to me. I was taken back by her words.

"It's okay Rose I understand now, and I don't think I did before. You know you are a sister to me and always will be."

"Thanks Bella. And by the way, I think you chose the right option. Truthfully, I don't think I could give up Emmett to have a human life."

_A/N: What did everyone think? I really hope you liked this chapter! Sorry I've been a bit longer updating, but I'm afraid that it might be even longer until I update next. I start back at school tomorrow in my last year, so everything is quite chaotic. Please review and tell me what you think! Any suggestions for future chapters? The more reviews I get, the faster I will update!!!!  
Katie x  
P.S PLEASE REVIEW!!!  
And by the way, there are links on my profile to pictures of the cars that Bella got in this chapter. x_


	8. Chapter 8: New Beginnings

Chapter 8: New Beginnings

A/N: Sorry I was a little later updating. Thanks for all your reviews! I want more! They are addictive lol :D What do you want to happen in Alaska?  
Katie x  
P.S PLEASE REVIEW!!!

The day had come where we had to load all of our boxes into trucks and head our way up north to our new home in Alaska. The day I was dreading. After last night and my reconciliation with Rosalie, I was feeling much more positive about leaving my life behind here and starting a fresh. To be quite honest, I actually feel like it is time to move on from my old life. I am Bella Cullen now, not Isabella Swan, and I want to start a fresh life with my husband.

We had finally managed to pack up everything into hundreds of flimsy cardboard boxes. They were piled in hallways and rooms, cluttering the once beautiful family home. We would return here someday. I do not know when.

The day began when the removal men finally showed up. They probably weren't late, it's just that we always forget that they need their sleep and we don't. They arrived a little past eight in the morning to escort our belongings to our new home. Esme had told us that it is even bigger than the house we have here, and that we all have a personal wing to share with our respective spouses. Life from now on should be relaxing, carefree and enjoyable; something I have never had. We managed to get all of the boxes in the trucks incredibly slowly. We could have had it done in minutes, but we had to slow our selves down so as to avoid suspicion by the removal men. It was incredibly annoying. The men pulled away in their chugging trucks to get a head start on us. Of course, they could never beat us there, but I know that Alice was planning to go shopping on the way to slow down our journey time. Trust Alice to pack shopping into everything.

It was exhilarating pushing the new Audi even faster along the free way. Edward had agreed to let me drive us there because of wanting to give the car a good break in. He didn't like me driving much, as he still cant grasp that I'm now unbreakable. The passing scenery was beautiful as I didn't have to pay as much attention to my driving as I used to. Edward looked slightly agitated and quite bored sitting in the passenger seat. I reached over and stroked his leg, reassuring him we would be there soon and safe. After about an hour and a half of driving, my phone buzzed, indicating a text message. I reached to get it, but Edward's hand stopped me before I picked it up.

"It's okay, love." He pulled my handbag up and picked up my phone. The screen lit up and it revealed a text message from Alice. No doubt, she was probably telling us to go shopping soon.

'Meet me a few miles ahead in the parking lot of the mall. Alice xxx'

Great. Just great. Now she was dragging Edward into it as well. I sighed, a deep resonating sigh and so did Edward. As we reached the turn off on the free way, we immediately saw the huge mall that she was talking about. Now it was going to be even worse. We pulled into the car park and jaws dropped, stunned by the car was entering the park. I noticed one girl in particular stop making out with her boyfriend to stare aimlessly in our direction. She couldn't believe what was right in front of her eyes. Her boyfriend tried to pull her pack to attention, but she was having none of it. She was pretty, but fairly dull, and I could totally understand why she would drool over our appearance.

We saw Alice and Jasper parked right at the front of the car park. We knew exactly where they were as Alice's bright canary Porsche stood out even more than my car. Jasper stood leaning against the hood of the car, bored out of his mind. It's not often that a vampire is bored, but you could tell that Jasper had been through this a thousand times before. Alice bounced excitedly up and down on the spot, her face lively and bright with the upcoming shopping trip. Was she ever going to get bored with shopping? We pulled up in the space next to them. Surprisingly, there were many spaces next to Alice's car. Maybe other people were too scared of scratching the Porsche when they pulled in, or they were too embarrassed by how bad their car looked in comparison. Even my car wouldn't look as good next to Alice's.

Before we had even got out of the car doors, Alice was babbling on about several different things she wanted and where the best sales where. I had no intentions of buying anything if it was not between Edward and us. He did seem to like that lingerie. I was not as materialistic as Alice, but she would never admit that. I remember Edward telling me of the time that Carlisle had tried to take the majority of Alice's clothes and credit cards away from her. It was one of the many family stories that Edward used to tell me in my old bedroom before I dozed away in his influential arms. Alice was very sneaky and still went shopping, but on Rose's cards. She hid the evidence in the forest, where she had a make shift closet even bigger than the one I have. The one that had Alice built. I don't think that Carlisle even knew what he had got himself into when he did that to Alice. It wasn't even worth the effort. Alice could never break her habits or addictions. You just couldn't break Alice full stop.

"Hold up Alice. I don't want to go shopping." I said sternly. Her face suddenly fell, playing a guilt trip on me. I knew exactly what she was doing. She's acted like this before – every time I've ever said no to her. But strangely, it always seems to work, and I end up giving in and letting Alice have her way. I don't want to upset my sister.

"Don't you love me?" Alice said sadly but cheekily, batting her eyelashes at me and Edward. Edward didn't want to go shopping anymore than I did.

"You know I do Alice! I just don't want to go shopping every second of the day. I have something more important to play with than clothes." I said laughing. Edward stepped from my side, wrapping his arms around me from behind, kissing my shoulders. Maybe a little distraction might do us all good.

"Gross Bella! Control your emotions before I rip Edward away from you. Do you realize how hard it is for me to be around you whilst you're all lovey-dovey?" Jasper commented. I never realized what it must be like for him when we're like this. Then again, he was just joking, so it musn't be too bad for him. If anything, it made him want to sneak Alice off to the closest room even faster. All of those lusty waves of emotion pleased Alice too.

"Come on! We're going shopping and that's final!" Alice shouted. We all stepped into line, not wanting to have the evil little pixie turn on me. That would be deadly.

We began to walk through the exit, and Edward held me even tighter than usual.

"Are you okay babe?" I asked. He looked upset about something – probably someone's thoughts. He frowned, turning his murderous gaze to a dark man standing against the wall opposite to us. He looked very shifty and dangerous, but only to human eyes. This man couldn't hurt me even if he dare try.

"That man is coming seriously coming close to a slow and painful death. If he ever puts his monstrous plans into action, I will kill him before he even comes near you." Edward stated coldly between clenched teeth. Edward pushed us both further away from the satanic man and closer to where the majority of stores were. I decided not to talk about that incident again after what Edward had said. I thought it best just to leave him to calm down. Maybe I could cheer him up later when we were in private surroundings.

Alice dragged us around what felt like hundreds of shops. We were all desperate to leave Alice to shop for herself, but we couldn't just leave her with that vicious man still hanging about. Alice could defend herself quite easily, but it was against principles to leave her here and it may look a teensy bit suspicious if she ripped his head off in full view of the other shoppers.

After an hour of Alice debating which Louis Vuitton handbag she should buy me, we finally had to put our feet down to suppress Alice's growing excitement.

"Come on Alice! Just choose already!" I blurted out in frustration.

"Okay, okay! You can just have both Bella! It's not like you won't use them." I sighed for about the thousandth time, and then pulled Alice to the cash desk. We payed for the piles of goods that Alice had chose out then finally exited the stuffy shop.

"Are we ready to leave now then Alice?" Edward demanded, insulted that he had to spend the day shopping with his evil little sister. I would definitely have to cheer him up tonight.

"Yes I think so. As shopped out as I'll ever be!" Alice chimed, happy with today's events and goodies.

"Actually there's somewhere I want to go." I told everyone, and their faces resulted in confusion. It was definitely unlike me to want to go into a shop. Alice immediately saw my plan in her mind, giggled, and then was probably trying to cover up her thoughts from Edward.

"Alice, why are you reciting the bible in Italian?" Edward asked. Now even he understood that it was another little surprise I had in store for him.

"Edward and I will go back to the car." Jasper said knowingly. In fact, I had changed my mind. I didn't want Alice to take me to the lingerie shop. I wanted Edward to.

"No, it's okay. You and Alice go back to the car." Edward smiled triumphantly, wanting to spend even more time with me. I smiled back to him as Jasper and Alice walked away, hand in hand, to the cars. Edward snuggled into my side, kissing my neck passionately.

"So where are we off to?" He said between sucking gently on my neck. I leaned closer into him, reveling in the intimacy.

"Like you don't know already." I whispered.

"Well I did see you eyeing the fancy lingerie shop earlier."

"Hmm. Would you like to pick something out?" I asked in a flirtatious tone.

"Okay, love. But I promise not to rip these ones to shreds like the others you brought." I laughed and pulled him in the direction of the shop. Edward kept me wrapped under his arm, and I felt safe and love there. It was like a home away from home. We passed several curious shoppers who were shocked to see that Edward had a wedding ring on his finger. They must have just been trying to fool themselves that I was just his sister. Like our intimacy hadn't put that myth away.

When we reached the shop, Edward was in his element, imagining me in all the pieces he saw. I sense that he was tense, eager to get me to the house as soon as possible. We ended up pulling several garments out which we both found particularly sensual. As we payed for the lacy lingerie, we spotted several of the female works standing around us, trying to get a glimpse of my god like husband standing next to me. One woman in particular eyed Edward with more fervor than the rest. Edward immediately clocked her and snuggled deeper into my side and rested his hand on my backside, drawing circles into the dark denim jeans I was wearing. It sent tingles all over my body, like an electrical current. He gently squeezed and then opted just to rest his hand there. The average middle aged woman with graying hairs lost interest and continued to stack the shelf she had been working on. Poor delusional creature, I thought to myself.

***

After finally arriving to the new house, we were mentally worn out by the Olympic style shopping trip that Alice had us run.

The house was beautiful and exquisite which was more than I had imagined. I was surprised because Esme had found and brought the house so quickly that I couldn't believe it could be so perfect. We had a huge, cavernous garage for Rosalie to tinkle in. The house was gigantic and included an antique library for Carlisle's office, a wing for each couple and acres of personal land to hunt in. My life could not get anymore perfect. Everybody had beaten us here because of our stop at the special shop in the mall. When we had gotten there, I was dumbfounded as most of our furniture had already been unpacked. The trip took us a little under two days to make, and already it was like we had been living here for years, not minutes. The new house followed the same style as our home back in Forks. The back wall was all glass, making us shimmer whenever a ray caught our luminescent skin. The white walls and off white furniture created a clean and simplistic living space which we all enjoyed. Esme was the perfect renovator.

I dragged Edward upstairs after mingling with the family to see whether my plan from a few days ago had been put into action. I took a quick peek around the door to check to see if it was done, then held Edward's eyes closed and walked him into the room. I removed my hands from his gentle lids to reveal the wall paper on one side of the room. It was perfect. Edward was speechless. If he could cry, he would be in floods of happy tears. The wall paper was beyond description. It was absolutely beautiful. For a second, I felt as if I were back on Isle Esme. I could hear the gentle swishing of water beneath our feet and the heat from the blistering sun, high in the sky. It was my heaven.

After an amazing night with Edward and the goodies we brought together yesterday, we decided to go hunting to prepare for us beginning school on Monday. It would be hard enough to be surrounded with hormonal, hot humans without having a hunt beforehand. I would focus on having a stunning weekend with Edward before the tedium of high school started again.

A/N: How did you like this chapter? Sorry it didn't move the story on very far and that it was very fluffy, but the next chapter should be interesting as the Cullen's start high school again. Please review if you want me to update faster!!!  
Katie x  
P.S PLEASE REVIEW!!!


	9. Chapter 9: First Day

Chapter 9: First Day

_A/N: Thank you so much to everybody who reviewed my last chapter and who favourited or alerted it! I love you all!  
Sorry for the delay, but I've been so busy and I'm afraid it's not going to get any better soon :'(  
Have you got nay suggestions for future chapters?  
Would anybody be interested in reading an out take of a fruity scene in the fic????? Review and let me know!  
Katie x  
P.S PLEASE REVIEW!_

We lay still in our new bed for hours, basking in each others glory. The sunlight glinted of both our naked bodies, throwing sparkling light beams in all directions. If I were human, the sparkles would have probably of blinded me. It had been a magical night spent in each others company, but I do not think that Esme will be too impressed that our new bed has already been broken. That was a record.

I was dreading the upcoming first day of high school. It was only hours away, and I felt sick thinking of all the lusty comments we would be getting. That was the worst part. Edward began to delicately trace circles into my lower back, causing me to giggle now and then. I lay with my head resting on his chest, contemplating whether or not to stay at home and lock me and my husband in the bedroom for hours. I was really gutted that we couldn't be husband and wife at school. However, Edward made up for it at home by calling me Mrs Cullen whenever he had the chance.

Edward sighed deeply, signalling that we had a visitor at the door. I had heard Alice bouncing up and down on the spot for minutes, deciding whether or not to break up our perfect moment.

"Alice go away. We're not going to school today. I'm spending quality time with my wife." Yes! Edward was thinking the same thing I was. I leaned my head closer to him and lovingly kissed his bare chest gratefully.

"I don't care Edward! I need to get Bella looking perfect for her first day." Does Alice really think that I would give up being wrapped in Edwards arms for being a human Barbie?

"Go away Alice!" I shouted, infuriated by her wickedness to disrupt us. Despite what we had told her, Alice came bounding into the room. Luckily, Edward managed to pull the covers over our tangled, naked bodies.

"Edward if you don't leave this room within ten seconds, I will tell Bella everything that you are planning. Now go!" Edward stiffened underneath me. What is he planning? Would I like to know what he was planning? He should tell me everything!

"Planning?" I questioned, sitting up in bed, but keeping my eyes fixed on Edwards blank eyes. He was hiding something from me.

"It's nothing Bella. Calm down." Calm down? What was he keeping from me!

"Yeah right." I said coldly, jumping out of bed, wrapping a blanket around myself and leaving the room to have a shower. If he couldn't tell his wife something, then it must be serious. I thought we had gotten past all evasions by now.

I slammed the door behind me when I got in the bathroom, probably a bit too loudly, and dropped my robe. Still infuriated, I turned the shower up to the hottest option, knowing that it would warm my vampire skin nicely. All pressure faded as I stepped into the inviting jets. I closed my eyes, and shut off all senses, not wanting to think about anything whilst I was in here. I had even forgotten to shampoo my hair and wash because of the relaxing water. A break was just what I needed to get my head around my new life. Maybe me and Edward could go back to Isle Esme for a few weeks. _Edward.._I couldn't believe that he could keep something from me – whatever it is.

Before long, I felt two warm arms wrap around my waist. I was startled at first, having shut down. I'm surprised I could even think. Edward nuzzled at my neck, and I tried to object, but he began mumbling sorry before I even had the chance. He knew me too well. More than I know myself. I knew that I would forgive him immediately. There was no way that I could resist the infamous puppy dog eyes that I jumped into every time I saw them.

"I'm sorry, love. Trust me on this – okay? You'll love it!" Of course I could trust him. He is my life. My existence. In acknowledgement, I leaned closer into him, enjoying his passionate embrace. I pulled away, all too soon, knowing that Alice would be in soon to break us apart again. We were two love struck teenagers, and always would be. I made my way back to our bedroom to find a whole outfit layed out upon our bed, which Alice had made and disposed of our shredded clothes from the night before. However annoying Alice is, she's still a diamond sister to have. Even the outfit was lovely except for the huge heels that accompanied it. Ah well I thought, bearing in mind that Edward loved to see me in them.

I dressed and dried my hair, curling the ends, and adding a slight blush to my cheek bones to look more _human_. I really didn't need any more make up because of my now flawless skin. I didn't like wearing it anyway. I dreaded this moment- taking my wedding rings off. It was something I have never had to do before, and never want to do again. Reluctantly, I pulled them off my finger and braided them into a long chain around my neck, At least they would still be with me through out the day. And, of course, I still had the beautiful ring that Edward had given me a few days ago. I swapped the finger it elegantly rested upon, not wanting to arouse suspicion on what it meant to me.  
Not before long, I was ready to endure a marathon of a day. Edward bounded down the stairs to embrace me in front of the whole family. It was fairly embarrassing. Even Rosalie and Emmett weren't like this any more. Alice cleared her throat to disrupt us for the second time today. I'm sure it wont be the last, either.

"When you two are finished, we can get going. We need to be there earlier so we can pick up our schedules. Bella, why don't you and Edward drive the Audi today?" Alice informed. I wondered why she had told us to use the Audi instead of the Chevy. After all, that's what the Chevy was there for.

"No Alice we'll be driving the Chevy and that's final." Edward stated powerfully. Alice had gotten her own way enough today. Soon, she will be ordering us to do what she wants. I shivered at the thought.

"Me and Edward can drive the Chevy, and you, Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett can ride the Jeep." Wow. It felt good to take the lead for once. Everybody started at me in disbelief before Emmett muttered out a frightened 'Okay'.

***

As we arrived at the school parking lot, we noticed that everybody else was driving big Jeeps and four by fours. The slick, snowy roads were incredibly dangerous to a humans weak eyes. But, at least our cars didn't stand out any more.

Before we had even pulled into spaces, mouths dropped at the sight of newcomers to their small school in Alaska. I think that this place will be like Forks; every body knows each others business because it is so small. As we got out of the cars, mouths dropped even farther. As we held each others hands, mouths dropped even farther. As Edward kissed me on the lips, moths dropped until they were nearly on the floor. Farther and farther.

Escaping the crowds, we finally made it to the entrance of the office. As I opened the door, a gush of hot, stuffy air blew past my face. Did humans really find Alaska that cold? The office was stuffy and crowded with stacks of paper every where. Who ever ran this part of the building obviously didn't take care of it very well. The small green potted plant in the far corner was in desperate need of some tender loving care. The walls, being off-white, looked grubby and unkempt. Even the small pictures that were hung on each wall had layers of dust and grime on them. What a warm welcome, I thought.

Edward took the lead to the counter to introduce our selves. Behind the desk sat a middle aged woman who needed a make over as much as the room. She was rather large and plumpy as he too-small blouse looked over stretched around her mid section. Her hair needed colouring, as grey hairs were beginning to appear. Her face was red and blotchy, probably from the cold weather, I thought. Most importantly however, she smelled totally unappetizing to my vampire senses. Her blood seemed intoxicated with alcohol and her general body odour was poor. She looked up from her romantic fiction novel, then looked back down at the sentence she was on, causing her glasses to dislodge to the end of her nose. Startled, she looked back up to Edward beautiful face, then stuttered on her words. She immediately slammed her book close, then adjusted her pose in her chair so that her bosoms appeared larger. Poor woman.

"Can I, can I, I, help you?"She managed to spit out, flabbergasted by all of our beauty. Edward, having heard her thoughts, pulled me into his side to signify that we were a couple. The woman immediately looked disheartened. I can imagine her at home with a cat at her side. She was probably desperate for some much needed male attention.

"Hello, I'm Edward Cullen and this is my adoptive family." Edward smiled, encouraging her heart to race forward. Edward introduced us all by one, specifying that we were all coupled up so as not to encourage her illegal behaviour.

She slowly handed out all of our schedules. I was over joyed to see that I had every class with Edward. Especially Gym – I was dreading that occurrence. As we all filed out of the reception, we all split up into our couples to get some alone time before classes started in ten minutes. Me and Edward made our way over to a bench under s helter a few paces away. He pulled me into his lap, I snuggled in closer, and we began talking about what today might bring.

"So what lesson have we got first?" I asked, starting our conversation off.

"Spanish I think, but we'll both know more about the language than the teacher ever will." It's true, Edward taught me several languages when I was first changed. I learnt Spanish, Italian and French in the course of two days. My new mind soaked up all of the words like a sponge.

As we sat talking, we both noticed a bunch of girls who started to stare at Edward. It was honestly infuriating for them to think that they had a chance of seducing my husband. They came closer and closer until they could hear what we were saying. Finally, I stopped talking and began to nuzzle at Edwards neck. His hands wrapped tighter around my body and held firmly onto my bottom. We were both giggling in amusement when the bell rang, signalling first period. The girls reluctantly dispersed, angered by our embrace. That showed them, I chuckled.

Walking down the corridors was like hell on earth. Some rude, ignorant boys kept shouting out remarks about the two of us, and me in particular. Wearing heels didn't help, as they found me even more attractive. Edward was becoming angrier and angrier by the second, and I called for Jasper weakly, when I saw him and Alice at the end of the hall. Jasper was there like a shot, emitting calming waves in Edwards direction, and slowly, his eyes turned back from deep onyx to honey gold. We entered the class room and headed straight towards the teachers desk.

After a while of the female Spanish teacher drooling over Edward, she finally gave us our textbooks and showed us to our seats at the back of the class room. Luckily, they were together, so we wouldn't be separated at all. We took our seats and tried to avoid the gazes of the curious and hormonal stares we received. The teacher noticed this and began to call order to the class.

"Alright class, that's enough. I'm sure that you have all seen that we have two new pupils; Edward and Bella. I hope that you will make them feel welcome. Right, now onto class. As this is a second year Spanish class, I should hope that you will all have a pretty in depth vocabulary by now. Please stand up and introduce yourselves one bye one. Tell us your name and a little bit about yourself." Great. What was I supposed to say? 'Hello I am Bella Cullen and this is my husband Edward. We are both vampires and live of animals. In my spare time I enjoy hooking up with Edward.' I'm sure that would go down very well. After everybody introduced them selves, it was my turn, and Edward encouraged me by whispering his support into my ear, sending tingles everywhere. How could I ever concentrate with Edward next to me? I stood up out of my chair, causing the stool to screech across the tiled flooring.

"Hola, mi nombre es Bella y este es mi novio, Edward. Somos a la vez adoptado y disfrutar de excursiones y campamentos en nuestro tiempo libre."  
_Hello, my name is Bella and this is my boyfriend, Edward. We are both adopted and enjoy hiking and camping in our spare time._

Everybody stared at me in shock, not expecting my Spanish to be that good. It was going to be one of those days.

_A/N: Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Does anyone have any ideas for future chapters?  
Would anybody like to read a fruity scene (rated M) as an out take, later on? Review me and let me know!  
Katie x  
P.S PLEASE REVIEW!!!_


	10. Chapter 10: Rage

Chapter 10: Rage

_A/N: Thank you for everybody's support so far! I love you all! Tell me what you want to happen :)  
Katie x_

The next few lessons went as slow as possible until it was finally time for our 'imaginary' lunch. Everybody slowly filed into the lunch room until it was crowded by mobs of teenagers. Even with my immortality, I was incredibly nervous when everyone stared at me and the my gorgeous 'boyfriend' who held my hand. The buzzing in the room immediately muted as we stepped in, and naturally, Edward sensed my nervousness. I didn't need to be a mind reader to know what they were thinking.

"It's okay, love." Edward knew exactly how to calm me down. He leaned close to me, locking me in a tight hug. I suddenly felt overwhelmed with love and security just by his embrace. My hair flopped down to cover my eyes, just as it did on the first day of Forks High School. Edward chuckled slightly and raised his pinky finger to remove the strand of hair from my face. I smiled in satisfaction at the little touches that brightened up my day.

Avoiding everyone's stares, we made our way to the lunch cue to pile up food on our tray which would only get thrown in the trash can. Even if I was still human, I would not eat this excuse for food. It was pathetic, really. Following Alice and Jasper to where Emmett and Rosalie sat was excruciating. Not because of the death glares or the whispers which I could hear quite clearly, but because of the idiot of a boy that tried to chat me up. Can he not see that Edward was right there?

He walked over in a boisterous manner, smiling jerkily to his 'friends' across the table. He was the type who thought he could get any girl, the ones who got those girls pregnant then ditched them at the last moment. He was a jerk.

Edward immediately stiffened in my arms, held his breath and began clenching his fists. It wasn't pleasant for him. Far from it. I quickly pulled Edward over to our lunch table to try and get out of this jerks path, but he followed me. We quickened up. So did he. Did he really want me to break his nose at the first opportunity? He was wearing dirty trainers and a baggy football, apparently what he thought was attractive. He made me feel sick with his devilish grin spread evilly across his face. We sat down, despite his sickly presence soon behind. I began chatting to Rosalie and Alice about another shopping trip they were planning to take in a few weeks time. I really didn't want to talk about shopping, but it was a great distraction when the jerk finally made his way over. All the time, Edward kept his arm around me as I sat on his lap at the lunch table. Nothing was going to ruin my day. Or my existence to be quite frank.

We continued with our conversation until he had the audacity to tap me on the shoulder. I think he was a bit phased by my cold hard skin, but it didn't put him off trying to ask me out. I didn't break from the conversation. He pretended as if he wasn't there, but we couldn't escape. Edwards hands continued to clench into fists, but he was careful not to let it affect the way he was holding me. Instead, he ripped a chunk out of the underneath of the table. I knew how he felt when another girl just so much as looked at Edward. We ignored him until he became inpatient and Edward had to put me down and set him straight.

Edward's eyes turned jet black as he stood shoulder to shoulder with the leech. Quite ironic, I thought, that I would use the term 'leech' on someone else. Even with the 'leech' standing up to Edward, he was still a good few inches shorter than my husband. Right now, all I wanted to happen was for this idiot to get lost. Preferably in the direction of a very hungry vampire. If it took Edward to break his face, then so be it.

Edward held his breath, making him appear even larger against this weak human. I believe I heard his name was Damien. Immediately, Damien stood back, put off by Edward's aggressive nature. I finally recognised him from a few of my classes.

"What. Do. You. Want." Edward stated bitterly between clenched teeth. He looked so angry, but to me, he just radiated sexiness. He really was a god like creature. Turning to look at me, Damien replied.

"Want to come to my party on Saturday, babe?" Ugh he was really repulsing me now.

"No thank you." I replied icily, giving him my best evil smirk I could.

"You heard her, now go." At this point, Emmett and Jasper came to back up Edward, standing menacingly at his flanks. Surely three bloodthirsty vampires would be enough to scare this jerk off. Damien looked seriously angered by my rejection, and I saw the small movements of his body tense up, ready for a fight.

"Probably a slag anyway." We all heard him crudely mutter with our sensitive hearing. Edward looked like he was about two seconds away from snapping. How could I be a slag? The only person I've ever committed to is my husband. At that, Edward withdrew his hand back, and snapped it suddenly in front of him to hit Damien straight on the eye socket. Clever. If he had hit his nose, blood would have spewed and sent us all into a frenzy. Damien stumbled backwards, overcome with shock, and hit the floor. He clutched his face in vain. That must have hurt. I rushed to Edward's side, calming him down, letting him know everything was alright. The whole school had just witnessed what happened, and soon, I heard the principles footsteps echoing down the hallway.

Damien's face began to swell as a concrete wrecking ball just smacked him in the face. I noticed his skin turn from a pale cream to a lilac, then deep, angry purple. It served him right. Nobody messes with the Cullen's. Soon the principal made his way into the cafeteria, shocked to see the whole school crowded around us. I continued to calm down, even now that he had started chuckling at the sight of Damien in tears.

"Mr Cullen! Would you like to tell me what happened to Damien White?" Edward laughed even harder when Damien tried to get up, but failed. I must admit that I had a chuckle right along side of him.

"I think he just learnt a valuable lesson. Not to mess with my... _girlfriend_." It was just as hard for him as it was for me to keep our public status at boyfriend and girlfriend.

"My office! Now!" Edward chuckled darkly again before kissing me fully on the lips. We usually only reserved this kind of passion for privacy. He walked away, looking back over his shoulder to wink seductively at me. Mouths dropped at the sight of Edward's behaviour. I'm sure that they presumed that Edward was an excellent behaving student, but when it comes down to protecting his wife, Edward's lethal.

The crowds began to lessen and people lost interest in the spectacle. However, Damien was still lying on the floor, clutching at his face. I turned around to where Emmett was watching the weak human carefully. I smiled at him and nodded as I had n inkling as to what he wanted to do. Emmett grinned wickedly and stepped forward to where his foot was close to Damien's face. Jasper stepped closer to Emmett's side for support. Emmett obviously didn't need any support, but with Jasper there, the couple just looked more terrifying. Slowly, and with his clenched fists tucked in his bulging pockets, Emmett knelt down to Damien's ear and began to whisper warnings into them.

"You dare mess with my sister again, and it wont just be your face you will need to clutch. Got it?" Wow. I couldn't believe Emmett could be so menacing to the humans. To me, he just looked like a big teddy bear. Seeing my reaction, I noticed that Rosalie started smiling. Soon, we were all chuckling, and Damien looked even more frightened.

"Now scoot." Jasper warned and gave him a soft kick in the ribs to move him. Two bones cracked. Ouch. Well, it was soft for a vampire.

***

The next class, English Literature, passed incredibly slowly, mainly due to the fact that Edward was still in the Principals office. The work that was set I already knew off by heart, so I didn't need to pay any attention to the teacher unless he was asking questions. It would have been awkward not to have been able to answer a question in my favourite subject. Least of all, Emmett wouldn't let me live it down. The Cullen's always strived to do the best in everything they do, including high school grades. My thoughts wandered to what Edward was doing and how he would react to any punishment that he would be given. Breaking another pupil's face must have it's consequences, but Edward could get himself out of anything. Next period was gym. I was dreading it.

As I walked to the gym, I was kindly reassured by Alice that Edward would be fine and he wouldn't do anything rash. However, with Gym on it's way, I was also incredibly nervous. I reached the gym and changed to my kit alone, as Alice didn't have this class with me. Edward did, but he wasn't here. Once again, I got a hundred stares as I changed. Girls were fixated with how sculpted and unique my physique was to every body else.

The coach called us to order and announced that we would be running on the track today. Not dab, I thought, at least I won't have to worry about people noticing how strong or balanced I was. All I had to do was keep a slow human pace, and I was set. Of course, my 'slow human pace' caused me to be at the front of the run and yards ahead of everybody else. They were already tiring. Their frantic heart beats and accelerated breathing resulted in my throat burning even more than usual. I pushed it to the back of my mind and tried to keep at a slower pace. Just then, none other than Damien White can running up behind me with a bandage attached to his face. Edward hadn't done a good enough job. How could he still be at school? Trying to match my pace, Damien ran beside me and caught his breath so he could talk. I increased my pace. So did he. There was really no shaking him.  
"Sorry about that kill joy earlier, but I'll pick you up on Saturday around half seven." Hah! The nerve! What made him think that he could just expect me to go out with him at the drop of a hat?

"Let me get this straight – I don't want to go out with you. End of. Deal with it." Damien became infuriated at my refusal. He began shouting abuse at me, so I sprinted ahead. He managed to catch up with me, some how, and stuck out his leg so that I would trip. It was only a second, but I could see every fine detail, and I would have been able to straighten my self out quite easily. I was pretending to be a human. I needed to fall.

I fell to the ground, pushing my hands out to 'cushion' the blow. That's what I had seen humans do. Damien began laughing until I heard Emmett running over from the other side of the field where he was playing soccer. Damien's heart rate accelerated forward even more, and his breathing became hitched when Emmett picked him up by the collar. I smiled and winked at Emmett. He was such a great big brother. I stood and pretended to limp to the changing rooms, ignoring the coach's calls and threats, and focusing on what Emmett did. With my excellent hearing, I heard Emmett threaten the leech.

"We'll see you after school."

_A/N: Sorry it took me a while to update, but everything's been so busy! I am planning on updating every Sunday, as I have more time at the weekends. Let me know what you think about this chapter and what you want to happen!  
Katie x  
P.S PLEASE REVIEW!!!_


	11. Chapter 11: Bonding

Chapter 11: Bonding

_A/N: Thank you so much for all the reviews! It's incredible! I love you all!  
Katie x_

I had been waiting. For hours.

Even longer.

Too long.

***

"Don't worry Bella, Edward will be fine. He's only in detention." Alice pointed out in between trying to cheer me up. Cheering me up did not consist of painting my nails cherry red. It consisted of Edward.

***

I was curled up in a tight ball on the plush sofa, closing my eyes and listening to the soft melody's of a CD of Edward's. What was taking him so long? I'm sure if I were able to sleep, I would be having all the abandonment nightmares like I had a few years ago. I had also noticed that Emmett and Jasper had stopped playing the childish video game and disappeared out into the woods surrounding the house. I naturally presumed they were going out for a quick hunt. It was still incredibly hard for Jasper, even though I was now the Cullen's newest vegetarian.

***

Darkness.

***

Two strong arms wrapped themselves around my waist firmly but lovingly. I knew exactly who it was without even turning to see them. It was now quarter to one in the morning. Of course, I didn't need to sleep, but Edward could have at least texted to tell me where he was. Was that to much to ask of a husband?

"Where were you!"

"I'm so sorry babe but Emmett, Jasper and myself had to sort out our little problem from earlier." I suddenly stiffened. _Sorted it out. What_ did that mean? Had they killed Damien? I didn't think it was in Edward to do such a thing.

He couldn't.

"What's the matter, love?" Edward quizzically asked. Like he didn't know.

"What did you do?"

"We just taught him a lesson he wont forget. He wont bother us any more." Edward then shifted his gaze to the book I was reading when he showed up: Wuthering Heights. I could tell he was trying to distract me from the topic at hand, but it really was not working. I wanted to know exactly what he had done.

"Edward – What. Did. You. Do" I was really starting to get angry now. The only way he wouldn't tell me is if it was serious, and serious probably meant that Damien White has just met his death. I shivered at the thought. Nobody deserved to die, not even a creep like him. Oh my! Carlisle! How would he react to this fateful news? Carlisle hated to harm anything just as much as me.

What would it mean for us as a couple if Edward had killed a school boy? Would I still look at him in the same light? Edward sat still, attempting to compose his answer. He looked as guilty as hell. Dis I really want to hear the answer to my question?

"Don't worry, he just knows not to mess with you any more. A few bruises here and there, maybe a busted up knee. Nothing to worry about." I let out a long breath, unconsciously after I had been holding me breath. Edward's arms wrapped tighter around me as he inched his body closer to me. He rested his head on my shoulder and began apologizing unceremoniously. He really didn't need to apologize. Well maybe for leaving me without contacting me, but he did the right thing with Damien. Of course I didn't want him hurt, but maybe he might stay away from us now. At least he wasn't seriously hurt.

After a prolonged period of time of us cuddled up on the sofa, Carlisle came swinging through the doorway, furious as to what his sons had been up to. He had obviously heard off the others.

"Do you know how dangerous that was! You could have revealed us!" Gosh, I had never even thought about it like that. If Damien became too 'interested' in our family, it could be fatal for all of us. Edwards grip became even tighter when realization hit.

"Don't worry Carlisle, everything will be fine. He doesn't know anything." Edward stated calmly after a few seconds. Carlisle seems to relax a bot at his sons assessment of the situation. He was still fuming, though.

"Edward you can't just attack a human just because he spoke and acted inappropriately towards Bella."

"I think you'll find I can! She's my wife, and I was protecting her! I'll do it again if I have to!" So sweet of him to stand up for his actions concerning his wife. It actually made me feel quite giddy inside because of Edward's protectiveness. I would have never have had the guts to stand up to my father like like that. A small part of my mind told me to note that I needed to call Charlie soon, or write a letter. Maybe writing a letter was better so he couldn't hear how upset I would be if I phoned him.

"Edward I think you need to go and cool off away from Bella. You need to seriously think about the danger you've just put us all in. You can't keep acting so irrationally."

"What? So you're going to ban me from seeing my own wife!" Edward said mockingly. I had never seen him like this before, especially not in front of Carlisle. It just wasn't like him at all. I had also never seen Carlisle so infuriated by Edward's actions. Maybe he had known that Edward would act like this when it came to other boys in high school.

"Yes, Yes I am. You need to learn the consequences of your actions. Punishing you for this is only fair. Bella is the only way I can think to punish you. I don't like doing this Edward, you must know that." Carlisle calmly stated. He must realise that by punishing Edward was like punishing me as well. Edward would hate to see me upset. Maybe that was the true punishment.

"I'm sorry for what I've done Carlisle, but you honestly can't do this." Edward said solemnly. He had obviously figured out that creating an argument wasn't the way forward.

"Sorry Edward, but it's what is for the best. I think you should take a small trip to the cabin up in the hills for a few days, just whilst everything calms down here surrounding this boy." I silent throughout the whole conversation, but had finally found my voice.

"It's okay, Edward." I really hated to day this, but I actually thought it may be for the best for a few days, even though it was unbearable to stay away from Edward for even a second.

"I'm not leaving you Bella."

"Yes you will." I gritted my teeth. This was harder than I thought imaginable. Maybe distracting Edward's mind may help. I turned around to face him on the sofa, wrapped my legs around my waist and my arms around his neck. I leaned in close to him to try and whisper something into his ear without Carlisle hearing. I didn't need my Dad to hear this.

"If you go away for a few days, then when you come back, I will make up all the times we missed and more. Fancy Isle Esme for a few weeks?" Edward's eyes suddenly grew large as he took in what I said. I bet he already had his case packed. I tried to seductive but probably sounded more like I was dying. I really hoped that Carlisle hadn't heard. From the corner of my eye, I saw Carlisle stifle a smile.

***

After an emotional goodbye from me, Edward finally left in search for the cabin a few hundred miles away. I really hated to have to say bye, even if it was only for two days. Everyone noticed the change in atmosphere when Edward had left. The rooms felt cold and lonely. The atmosphere dimmed, dull and desolate.

I returned to the living room where I had previously been to find Carlisle there waiting for me. He smiled politely, expecting me to be angry for him sending Edward away. In theory, I was the one who had sent him away. He was perched on the edge of the sofa, my book clutched in his hands and his eyes concentrating on the marble flooring.

"I'm really sorry about earlier Bella. I hope you will forgive me. I knew that it would be punishing you also, but I could think of no other way for Edward to come to terms with what he had done." Carlisle apologized. He didn't need to say sorry at all. I should be the one saying sorry for not stopping whatever Edward had planned.

"No, please don't apologize. _I'm_ sorry for not stopping him. I know how he can get sometimes." I replied casually. I wanted this conversation to take on a light feeling, the opposite to the atmosphere in the house. Everyone was sad, and I just wanted cheering up. The one person that could do that wasn't here.

"I'm sorry. Don't blame this on yourself. Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about something else."

"Oh."

"There's this ball on tomorrow night to do with work and some children's charities that the hospital supports. I thought I could ask you to go with me. I havn't had much time to spend with you since you joined us so I thought we could have a nice night. Plus, they've asked if you could give a speech about being in a family of adopted teenagers. You can say no if you want to." Wow that took me back. I wasn't expecting that at all. To be honest, I havn't given much thought to bonding with the family. I guess I was quite wrapped up with my new husband.

"I would love to Dad." Carlisle paused for a second, then smiled brightly.

"Oh! Welcome to the family Bella. I've always wanted a daughter like you!" Carlisle shot up and hugged me tightly. Tomorrow might would be brilliant bonding tome for us. I think we really needed it.

Esme slowly walked in, cautious not to interrupt our father, daughter moment. She smiled proudly at our embrace, and came over for a hug for herself. Maybe these two days were just what we all needed.

"Esme are you sure you don't want to go with Carlisle tomorrow? I know you love to get to know his new work colleagues." It hadn't crossed my mind until now that Esme always goes with Carlisle.

"Oh no! Of course you should go! Have some quality father and daughter time!" Esme smiled proudly.

"Plus I think Alice is excited at the chance to play dress up with you Bella." Carlisle chucked proudly. It was probably just a conspiracy so that Alice could treat me like a doll. Darn evil pixie! But, if this was a formal event for Carlisle's work, then I would need to look my best. I didn't want to disappoint.

"Yey! Yey! Yey! Bella I chose the perfect dress out for you yesterday!" Alice cam bounding the stairs and into the large lounge. Wait. She had know about this and hadn't told me?

"Alice why didn't you tell me about this?"

"I wanted Carlisle to tell you. It's a nice surprise isn't it?" Alice replied innocently. She changed the expression on her face so that she looked unbelievingly cute and I couldn't help but to fall for her charm.

"It's a lovely surprise Alice. So where's this dress then?" I hated to start Alice off on clothes, but it helped to distract my mind from the lacking family member. Before Alice fully dragged me up the stairs, I had a second to quickly ask Carlisle and Esme something.

"Carlisle, Esme, would you mind if me and Edward went to the island for a few weeks soon?" I smiled brightly, hoping that they could see my plan.

"Of course sweetie." Esme replied with a wink.

_A/N: Yey! I've worked so hard to do that for you! Review Time!!! What do you want to happen?  
Katie x  
P.S PLEASE REVIEW!!!_


	12. Chapter 12: Ball

Chapter 12: Ball

_A/N: So sorry that I'm late updating, but I've been very ill recently. I would like to say a huge.....WOW! You guys are absolutely great! Big hugs to everyone, and especially Michelle who reviewed my work on the blog: .Twilight!!! Thank you to everyone has come up with suggestions. Keep them coming!  
Katie x  
P.S PLEASE REVIEW!!!_

The ball was tonight, which Carlisle was taking me to. I was both dreading it and excited. Excited because it meant that I could spend some quality time with my new father. He could get a better insight into my new and wonderful life. I was dreading it because Edward wouldn't be there. Oh, and not to mention the way my evil sister would be dressing me up like a doll. That just tipped my unbalanced emotions to the side of dreading it.

I spent most of the day curled up into a tight ball on the sofa, aimlessly watching pitiful television, or curled up on mine and Edward's bed, trying to avoid Alice and her make up brushes. The last thing I needed was for Alice to see me in this weak state of mind and try to 'cheer me up' by plastering me in cosmetics.

At around midday, I was still curled up on the huge bed in our room, tearlessly sobbing into the plush pillow. I felt so lonely and abandoned, but the fact that I hadn't been willed me to stay focussed on tonight's events. Edward leaving, even for the shortest amount of time left a huge chunk of my existence missing. Surely Carlisle must realise this? He understands how hard it is to leave Esme, even just to go and work at the hospital each day.

Pulling me out of my hell hole of despair for a few seconds, my phone buzzed from the bed side table. I didn't want to see who had texted me. It couldn't be Edward as Carlisle had banned him from making contact with me. Why should I see who it is? The phone persistently buzzed, revealing that a second message had been received. Ugh! I picked my self up off the bed and rolled over to reach it. I still couldn't as the bed was so big, so I gradually got myself up to walk to where my phone was in buzzing hysterics. I sighed and picked it up, and was taken back when it showed that I had three messages of _Edward_. If Carlisle found out about this, he would most definitely send Edward away for even longer.

As quickly as I could manage, I stumbled my way through the buttons to reveal the first message. Making silly mistakes on the way, it took me twice as long to read it.

_I'm so sorry Bella. I'm craving your beautiful company. Please meet me. E xxx_

Not hardly registering the first message, I stumbled with the buttons until I came across the second:

_Please Bella. Meet me at our place. I have some making up to do. E xxx_

He doesn't have any making up to do! He did what anyone else would. I should be the one apologizing – thinking that he had done something much worse to Damien. I should have known that my husband wasn't capable of doing something so menacing. Sighing at how pathetic I was, I uncovered the third message to show something so simple yet deep.

_I love you._

No more needed to be said.

Just then I received another text message, but unfortunately, it was not off Edward, but Alice. Of course she would see what we were planning to do. That vampire can be so annoying at times!

_I wont tell anyone as long as you promise to let me dress you up as much as I want for a WHOLE month._

Haha! Does she really think that a month was long enough when I was going to see Edward. She could have easily gotten a year! Nothing would stop me from going to see him. Not even Carlisle, and that was saying something. Everybody listened to Carlisle.

_A year it is._

I just sighed and shook my head, disdained by her manipulative powers. I wasn't even that fussed by Alice's deal. I was just so happy and elated to be going to see Edward. My whole day had just immediately brightened up from the hell hole that it was previously situated in.

***

I ran through the surrounding woods as quick as I could possibly do. His scent was near, getting closer and closer by the millisecond. I craved his indisputably beautiful company. I was making my way to the small meadow that we had found on our many hunting trips. It was then decided that every where we moved to, we would always find a meadow to call our own as it reminded us so much of Forks. It was like a home away from home. Moreover, Edward was my home.

The opening to the meadow established itself in my eye line, and I ran as fast as I could, whipping through the bushes. His scent was so concentrated in the air now, that every living thought I had contained my glorious husband. I less than a split second, Edward came charging out of the meadow to meet me half way. I could not believe that I could miss one person this much. As soon as my eyes lay upon him, the aching feel in my chest relinquished.

We slammed into each others embraces, disorientated by the loneliness that had just subsided. He smothered me in kisses, fluttering up and down my neck.

"I missed you so much." Edward compelled between kissing my neck

"And me baby. Too much."

We gradually made our way into the meadow and fell down under a large, autumnal tree. Our passionate embraces didn't last long enough until I had to head home from my "hunting trip".

***

I returned home after a few hours, covered in dirt and leaves from my "hunting trip". I should go on those more often. As soon as I walked through the door, I received dirty comments from Emmett regarding my explicit sex life. I received a very disappointed look from Carlisle, but that was to be expected. He couldn't keep me away from my husband, regardless of what either of us had done. Everybody knew how much I was missing him, so I just made my way to our room and started up the shower.

***

"Ready?" Carlisle asked as I made my way down the stairs, in the long, flowing gown that Alice had insisted I wear. Carlisle looked much happier than earlier, and offered his arm for me to take. Everyone seemed much happier, as if a weight had been lifted off everyone's shoulders. They were up to something. I could tell.

The long, red evening gown that Alice dressed me in looked exquisite. It was simple, but sophisticated, and worked wonders with my complexion. I had tied my hair back into a tight bun on the back of my head, and that, combined with bright red lips, exuded sexy. I would have to take pictures for Edward to see. It would be a shame for him not to see me looking like this, even though we had all the time in the world.

I smiled at Carlisle gratefully, then took his arm. He was dressed in a expensive tux, probably due to Alice's making, and looked quite simply dashing. No doubt that all eyes would be on us tonight. As Carlisle picked up his car keys, and I received the clutch bag off Alice, Emmett let out a loud wolf whistle to signify how we looked.

"Gosh Bells, no wonder why you hooked up in a field with Edward!" I gave him a scornful look, and Rosalie smacked him on the arm. Alice and Jasper were both trying to hide back smirks. Carlisle cleared his throat and I turned back to him and plastered an apologizing smile on my face. Carlisle simply nodded his head, and turned to face Esme.

"See you later, honey." He then leaned over and kissed her fully on the lips. Instinctively, my eyes tried to search out Edward, but of course he wasn't there. Oh what I would do right now to feel his lips on mine, wishing me luck for the speech I was about to give. I had a speech written down on prompt cards, but it sounded laborious. I didn't have that personal feeling that a good speech had. I would have to ask Carlisle for advice on it later.

When myself and Carlisle were in the car, and out of hearing distance from the others, it dawned on me that I really needed to apologise for my behaviour earlier. I also needed to talk with him that he couldn't just send Edward away. He is my husband, and should not be punished for protecting me. Carlisle surprisingly sat silent, not taking the opportunity to talk like he wanted us to do tonight.

"I'm really sorry Dad."

"What for?" He replied questioningly. He knew what for. It appeared that everybody knew that me and Edward had met up.

"For meeting with Edward. And for being a terrible daughter." I was really starting to feel bad for lying to Carlisle, but it just could not be helped when he tried to keep Edward from me.

"Bella don't talk like that. I should be the one apologising. I shouldn't have tried to keep Edward away from you. I thought it would teach him a lesson, but I understand now that nothing can come in the way of you two."

"Thank you, but I still shouldn't have gone against your wishes."

"Bella, it is your life to lead, I can only guide you in the right direction."

"I understand. And thank you for tonight, I think we really need this." I said confidently. We really did need to talk about pretty much everything.

"Me too. So how are you dealing with all the dramatic changes?" He questioned. Carlisle was the perfect father figure. He understood everyone so exactly, almost as if he were a mind reader like Edward. Carlisle could also empathise with you in a way that no body could describe.

"It's not been easy, but also not hard. Edward is always there, so he supports me with anything I need him too." I replied, unsure of how deep to state my feeling and emotions. My new life had been pretty much perfect so far, except for having to leave Charlie behind and the ridiculous amounts of money that they all spend on me.

"We're all here if you need us, Bella. We all understand what it is like for you at this time." Carlisle expressed.

"Is there anything you want to talk about in particular Bella?" Carlisle devotedly asked.

"Err," I looked down at my feet, unsure of how to phrase my feelings, "does it get any easier as the years go by to forget about your human family?" I had been trying to bottle up my feelings about Charlie and Renee. I had tried to hide them away at the back of my mind, but now seemed the right time to release them.

"Aaah, I see. I don't think it gets any easier Bella, but you just have to look forward and enjoy your new life, otherwise you will always regret your decision to change."

"I don't regret anything, but it's just so hard to give up the last bit of normality in my life."

"Have you ever talked to Edward about this?" Carlisle asked passionately. He really was devoted to trying to make everyone feel at their best, all of the time.

"Sometimes, but I don't like to burden him with my problems." I answered shyly. I really didn't know where all this bottled emotion was coming from.

"Never see yourself as a burden, Bella. You are a member of this family now, and we will all help you, Edward more so."

"Thank you Dad. I really do think that this has helped."

"Any time sweety, but I do think you should talk to Edward about this." Carlisle informed. He was right. I shouldn't have locked all my feelings away like this. It doesn't do anyone, any good.

I recognised that we were now close to the hospital where Carlisle worked, and so I thought it best to have fun.

"I also think that I should talk to Edward about getting you some new music. This CD is terrible!" I mocked. His face brightened up and he mock-punched me on the arm We pulled into the car park, and Carlisle, always the gentleman, opened my door for me and took my arm. Carlisle, leaning down to whisper in my ear so that nobody heard, gave me sound advice about tonight, that hadn't even registered in my mind.

"Pretend to eat and drink something. We would look a bit strange if we didn't. Good luck for your speech."

"Thanks. I hadn't even thought about that." I replied, as quietly as possible.

"I would say 'Break a leg', but I didn't really think that it was possible." Carlisle chuckled. I could see where he was coming from.

***

After pretending to down several orange juices and canopies, I began to get restless about the upcoming speech. Carlisle had tried to advise me to speak from my heart, but I was still stuck. It was only five minutes away, and so I had decided to just stick to what was written on my prompt cards. Public speaking definitely wasn't my forte.

I didn't think that it was possible that vampires could shake nervously, but nothing surprised me by now. I really needed Edward to soothe me right now, and possibly Jasper if that didn't work. Why did I agree to do this? My time was up.

I consciously remembered to move one foot in front of the other as I finally reached the podium that I would be speaking from. Carlisle, to my left, introduced me with such clarity and confidence, that I was sure that I looked like a wreck next to him.

"I will now hand over to my newest daughter, Bella, who will talk to you about what her life has been like and how she dealt with adoption."

I involuntary shook with fear, and lifted my head to face the audience. There, sitting in the front row, was none other than my glorious husband. His smile was beaming, and I could hear him quietly willing me on. I was so surprised. I looked over to Carlisle, who had noticed that I spotted Edward, and smiled broadly. I knew deep down that Carlisle couldn't be as mean as to keep Edward away at a time like this. Finally, things were back to normal. As normal as it could be.

That was what they were planning.

I couldn't think of anything better! Nothing could cheer me up like Edward can.

I read the first sentence on my cards, and then realised how pathetic it actually sounded. I put the cards to one side, and smiled proudly at Edward. I would take Carlisle's advice and speak from my heart.

"After the loss of my parents, I lost myself. I lost who I was. That was, until I was found by Carlisle and his family. My life got kick started, and I realised what I was missing out of in life. Becoming a Cullen meant more than a sense of belonging, it meant finally accepting who I had become and the losses from my previous life. I havn't regretted a single day of my life, only that I didn't join the Cullen's, and my... boyfriend, Edward, sooner." I was so proud that I managed to speak about something that was actually worth while, and could help somebody else, who was actually in foster care.

***

"I'm so proud of you!" Edward exclaimed after running and pulling me into a bear tight hug. Thankfully, it didn't hurt, as if I were still human, it would have certainly crushed a few bones.

"I'm proud of myself. I honestly believed that I couldn't do that."

"You can do anything if you set your mind to it, love." Edward answered. I was so pleased for him to be there whilst I talked in front of hundreds of people. I mentally choked up, thinking of how much Charlie would have been pleased to have seen that too.

"Well at least my blushing cheeks didn't let me down." I laughed. They really were a huge problem in my human life. I was just glad that they couldn't embarrass me any more.

After another romantic embrace, I followed Edward onto the dance floor where slow danced to the fast music. We were the centre of attention with our grace and beauty, and to be honest, I really didn't care. Tonight was about us, and how far we had come together, not just as a couple, but as a family. We danced until midnight.

_A/N: Again, really sorry for the delay in updating, but I've been very ill, and also permanently busy. This chapter was hard to write, to get the balance between emotional and realism between Carlisle and Bella. I didn't want the chapter to get too soppy, so I hope you enjoyed it! What would you like to happen in future chapters? Please review and tell me!_

Katie x  
P.S PLEASE REVIEW!

Also, do you think the story should have ended there, or would you like more chapters posted? I was in two minds whether to class the story as complete, as the last sentence summed the Fanfic up completely. However, I enjoy writing, and didn't want to finish it at just twelve chapters. What do you think?


	13. Chapter 13: Accident

Chapter 13: Accident

_A/N: Thank you do much for all your kind reviews – especially, twilight fan 40, whose caring words, really willed me to get better. Please review!  
Katie x_A few weeks had passed since we had moved to Alaska, and we were yet to visit Tanya and her family. I also hadn't spoken to Charlie or Renee recently, but I was trying to put that off as much as possible. Maybe it would just be easier to cut all connections with them so as not to delay the antagonizing process out any longer. I just didn't want to think about when we would do that. I didn't want to think about it at all.

I leaned in closer to Edward, sighing in contentment as I blocked out everything that the teacher was saying. We were currently in biology, and I couldn't care less. I concentrated on the gentle lines in Edward's palm. I was once again sucked into the deep daydream, which was Edward's beauty.

With me distracted by Edward's magnificence and his arm wrapped around me, the male teacher noticed and decided to pick on me for a question. Luckily, I had a mind reading boyfriend, and ears so sensitive that I could hear a pin drop from a mile away.

"Amylase." He whispered gently under his breath.

"Thank you." I said as I kissed his arm under my hands.

"Bella what was I just talking about? You don't know do you? Because you weren't listening -" the teacher droned on and on, so I decided to intercede before he burst with anger.

"Amylase, sir." I answered angelically, just like I had seen Alice do some want successful times previously.

"Oh, well, err that's okay. Just make sure you listen in future." He was completely taken aback by my sudden knowledge in the subject he was teaching which I wasn't paying attention to. Edward absent mindedly played with a strand of my hair.

"Mr. Cullen! Pay attention!" The teacher furiously shouted. He just didn't realise that this was probably Edward's fiftieth time through high school. It was only my second, but I was immediately bored and wanting to go home. I just didn't look forward to repeating another year of this place.

Quietly from the back of the classroom, I heard Damien chuckle heinously. We had completely ignored him recently, and he had stayed away as well. He finally noted that with two broken legs, messing with the Cullen's again would only get him two broken arms to go along with it. The day dragged on, but at least with Edward now in all of my lessons, it wasn't too boring. Having your vampire husband sitting next to you definitely makes the time fly.

Lunch finally arrived and we all filed into the cafeteria as the wet weather looked like it was about to turn icy. The whole room buzzed at the thought of upcoming snow and all the fun they could have in it. Even though it snowed most of the time in Alaska, the kids here were really excited at the thought of snow men and snow angels.

I queued with Edward to get our props for what seemed like hours, but was probably a mere minute. I hated trying to act normal, but being around Edward made me constantly forget that there were other people with us. I could just stare into his gem like eyes and get completely lost. He noticed me transfixed on his angelic face whilst he was paying the dinner lady for our lunches, and inhaled a sharp breath when he saw my bottom lip open in anticipation. I knew he loved staring at my lips, and so any excuse to get out of school would be well worth it.

At that point, Alice came bouncing over, in a way which I can only describe as being the movements of a talented ballerina. Once again, she was jumping up and down in excitement. I might as well add that she is _always_ doing this.

"Bella! You're going to love what Edward has in mind!" Alice exclaimed passionately. It was like a full time job trying to calm Alice down. Edward raised one eyebrow and carried our tray over to our table, whilst remarkably, still holding onto me.

"Are you going to tell me? Or do I have to force it out of you!" I chuckled whilst trying, and failing, to tickle his sides gently. He chuckled along with me, but I knew that my tickling had no effect. The other way around, however, and I would be in fits of laughter.

"Well, you don't have to do it if you don't want to, but I thought we could do something to get out of school and go to Isle Esme for a week?" Wow, I was completely blown away. I'm sure he could actually read my mind – because it is exactly what I wanted.

"I would love to. But what exactly could we do to get out for a week?" I smiled kissing him fully on the lips, not caring about the school rules. I could kiss my husband if I wanted. Nobody could stop me. Nothing would.

"I have a great idea. It may involve Bella going back to her clumsy roots, but it would definitely work." Emmett suggested. Clumsy Bella? There was no way that he could call me that any more. I now had more grace than even Alice had. With a rush of air, I distinctly heard Edward kick Emmett really hard. Probably to his thoughts, but the force of which he kick would have instantly shattered a humans leg.

"No." Edward stated firmly, with a severe expression on his face. His body became rigid underneath me, and he immediately tensed up.

"Aaw! Come on! It was a great idea."

"I'm not having Bella hurt, or even pretending to be hurt. End of story." Edward replied coldly.

"Come on Edward. It was a great idea and you know it!" Alice butted in. She had a point, even though I didn't know what Emmett had planned. I really hated their silent conversations – it bugged me so much.

"Don't you think I have a right to know? It does concern me after all!" I raised my point, frustrated by my lack of involvement.

"As I was trying to say – before I was rudely interrupted, and attacked I must add – why don't you pretend to have an accident of one of the many slick floors from the sleet, and pretend to have sprained an ankle or something? You know that Edward would never leave you to re cooperate at home alone." I must say, sometimes, Emmett's ideas are pretty amazing. It was probably the only way we could get away from school, and which Carlisle would allow.

"That's actually a brilliant idea, Emm." I smiled proudly. Edward had still not relaxed, and I could now understand that he didn't want me to even fain an injury. I also wouldn't want to see a pined expression on his face, even if it was fake.

"Baby, I don't want you to be hurt." Edward whispered against my cheek. It was intimate moments like this that really kept me going throughout the day.

"Just think about a week of alone time. I'm sure your imagination can think of a few advantages to that." I whispered seductively in his ear, letting my lips graze the outside.

"I heard that little sex kitten!" Rosalie exclaimed, grinning wildly. We really were interacting much better these days. I think that now she fully understands that I love Edward with all my heart, and that I would give up everything – including having his child – just to be with him.

"Jealous?" I grinned back widely.

"I think not little sis'"

"So are we doing it?" I asked Edward charmingly. I really did want to get away to the island. It was like my own personal heaven, and I knew it was Edward's too. Isle Esme held so many fond memories for the both of us, that it would always feel like out first home.

"I really want to go away, I just don't want to see you hurt." He reasoned. Maybe we could find another way, but I don't think there is anything better.

"See it this way – at least you get to be my personal hero, save me and carry me home." I snuggled closer into his chest, emphasizing my point of how good it felt to be with him. Surely a few minutes of fake pain was worth a week of bliss.

"Okay," he said between kisses, "love."

***

It was set. We had meticulously planned our escape through out the lunch time. It would probably have taken us weeks if we were human, but thanks to our future telling pixie and quick vampire talking, we were done almost instantly.

Alice and Jasper were to bring handfuls of sleet into the tiled corridor whilst no one was looking, and stand back to make sure that nobody else slipped in it. That would just be careless and cruel. When the corridors got busy when everyone was making their way to last lesson, I was to separate from Edward to have a "human moment", then go running back to him and into his arms.... only I would slip midway. Rosalie and Emmett were going to try and lure a few teachers there to witness the "accident" so they were sure that I had really hurt myself. We planned, and planned, and finally I was ready for my big début as an actress. I was nothing but nervous, and completely excited for the week I would spend with my glorious husband.

Myself and Alice headed towards the bathroom whilst Emmett and Rosalie would try and get teachers into the corridors. I really didn't want to know what they were going to do. I could only imagine the havoc they would cause. As annoying as ever, Alice was trying to demonstrate the art of applying blush to my cheeks, to try and make me have an embarrassed look on my face. I really didn't need it. I would not go read, but you would certainly know that I would be embarrassed. I hate being the centre of attention!

"All set?" Alice asked.

"Sure." I answered, internally sobbing for what I was about to do. All those years I tried to avoid falling, and now I would be attempting it on purpose. I wasn't even sure if my now perfect body would let me fall. But hopefully with these huge heels on, it shouldn't be too hard.

I exited the bathroom, and immediately noticed Edward waiting for me by our lockers at the end of the corridor. My mind also made a mental note that the sleet was a few feet from him. It never really struck me before now that Edward would also be having a tough time, as his instincts told himself to stop me from falling. This would be as hard for his as it would be for me. I looked to my side to see Emmett and Rosalie being shouted out for their passionate public displays of affection. They definitely went overboard with the passion on this one. I noticed Rosalie's top riding high above her waist and Emmett's jeans button undone. They had their hands all over each other, slammed up against the locker door. Rosalie looked wild with a need for contact from Emmett. I don't blame her. Every time I even look at or think of Edward, I am wild with that need too.

Alice winked at me, my queue to make my way over to Edward. Most eyes were on us both anyway. The boys pathetically drooling over me, and the girls thinking of all the ways that they could get Edward on his own.

This was it.

I began running.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath in.

My instincts told me that this was all wrong.

I shut my mind off completely.

_A/N: So sorry the chapter was late being published, but I've only just got better from having the swine flu, and I am snowed under with a whole pile of catch up work – which I still havn't done! Hehe :D So please review, and you may get another chapter soon!  
Katie x  
P.S PLEASE REVIEW!!!_


	14. Chapter 14: Explanations

Chapter 14: Explanations

_A/N: Hope you like this chapter! Please review and give me your opinions/suggestions :) What do you want to happen in future chapters? And an extra special thank you to everyone who willed me to get better! :)  
Katie x_

As far as I could tell, the fall had been successful. My one piece of knowledge being that I was now strewn across the floor, crying in fake pain and clutching my right leg. When I fell, it was incredibly hard to literally throw myself to the floor. My vampire instincts told me otherwise, and so it was a battle of my wills. Instead of the room spinning in my vision, I saw every single detail as I fell. I saw how the girl down from me slightly pouted her lips at Edward whilst reapplying a façade of makeup in her locker mirror. It really was pathetic. I even noted the flickering light above my head and the slight creek of the main hall door – a fifteen minute walk from here.

But as I fell, I began to question my judgement and choices within this life. I was not questioning what I had become – just what I was attempting, to change my course. Was it really worth denying what it was to myself, just to evolve more into my new character? Why couldn't I just be honest to myself and Edward and put my foot down. This was _my_ life. Why should I have to conform to what is now deemed as acceptable within this family? I was barely married to Edward and already had to face days at school. Right now, I should still be in my honeymoon phase, not redoing work from my human years. I had already given up too much to try and hide who I had now become – I shouldn't have to hide my husband, or our passionate desires.

The principal's eyes were averted from a smirking Rosalie and Emmett who were still pinned up against the lockers. Edward immediately came running down, calling my name and shouting to see if I was 'okay'. I was far from it. I was infuriated. With myself.

Pools of gossip hungry teenagers circled the area with piercing stares. They were infuriated by my stealing of the attention and Edward's concerns. Alice reached me first as she was closer. She bent down with a worried look on her face, holding her hand up near my eyes. I didn't see what she had done, partially blinded by the lack of light, but felt water trickle down my cheeks. Using water as fake tears was one of Alice's speciality moves. What was the world coming to?

"Sob your little heart out." Alice whispered in my ear whilst clutching my face, still dithering about in a 'shocked state'. Edward finally reached us, and it took all of my strength not to just jump up and run into his arms. However, I still tried to get up, failing at my attempt to keep grounded. It seemed as though my self will had had enough today. Alice, with her forceful ways, pushed me back down before I was even upright. Alice being Alice kicked my leg gently to remind me that I should be crippled in pain.

"Owww! My leg! I think it's broken!" I exclaimed. Acting really wasn't my forte, and it came out sounding slightly rehearsed and unbelievable. Moreover, with water falling down my now rosy cheeks, the scene must have looked a whole more accidental. Everyone's gazes were brought back to my leg, and everyone was shocked to see that such an accident could happen in their school.

"Everyone move out the way!" The principal ordered as he tried to pass through the collection of witnesses. The onlookers were incredibly stubborn and resisted to moving out of their spot, afraid that somebody else would steal it.

"Come on Bella; let's take you to Carlisle at the hospital." Edward knelt down and gracefully swooped me up into his arms. He seemed incredibly careful as he tried not to jostle me as much as possible. It occurred to me only then that this was what he was probably always like when I was human. I really didn't give him enough credit for how hard it must have been for him whilst my heart was still beating. I clung to his neck; desperate to escape everyone's prying eyes.

"No you don't Mr. Cullen! Let's wait for the EMT's to come! Put Bella down this instant. You have no right to harm her even more!" The principal demanded. His face was quickly turning a deep shade of red as he got angrier at the situation. I'm sure I would be angry too if I couldn't control the student body.

"Oh I have every right to care for her! Now get out of my way!" Edward ordered menacingly. The whole corridor went quiet at Edward's aggressiveness. The only sounds heard were the furious beating of hearts and sharp intakes of breath.

"No! Now put Bella down carefully!" I cried out even louder, emphasising the pain, and the need for Edward to get us out of the packed corridor. Unbelievingly, Edward seemed to look even angrier and he quite forcefully pushed the principal out of the way. He did not fall, but staggered back, using students as supports. We rushed out of the building, ignoring the principal shouting, and slammed through the doors and over to the car. We were both so thankful for the breaths of fresh air, as it was getting a bit heated in there. Edward had to help me into the car as there were hundreds of eyes staring at us through the windows. I still can't believe that Edward assaulted the principal! It was so out of character for him, but I knew all along that he didn't like the situation. I guess it must have been hard for him going back in time.

We finally arrived home after what felt like an extremely tense car journey. I had realised to just let Edward calm down in his own time, anything I did or said, would probably just make him feel even worse. Even though he was still infuriated by the students and principal, Edward remained a constant at my side and held my hand the whole time, rubbing circles into the back of my palm.

We walked in to find the house empty and desolate. Our home looks deserted when nobody was in. I guess what they say about the people making the home is true. Carlisle was still working at the hospital, and we presumed that Esme had gone food shopping. She had to go every so often so that people wouldn't think we were eating thin air.

Edward pulled me into him, being extra gentle with his caressing touches. He began kissing my lips passionately, but soft, and soon we were incredibly caught up in the moment.

"Want to make use of the empty house?" Edward smirked whilst stroking my side causing my top to ride up. I attacked his lips more hungrily, and pulled him in the direction of the stairs.

***

"Bella! Edward! GET DOWN HERE THIS INSTANT! I don't care what you're doing!" Carlisle shouted. I had never heard him so angry, and by the look on Edward's face, neither had he. We both froze on the bed, and listened for anything else that was happening.

"Come on lets go." I threw Edward's boxers at him, but he just chuckled and pulled me down on top of him.

"But baby we haven't finished yet." Edward moaned. He clearly looked quite cheeky and disobedient, but I had truly never heard Carlisle talk like that. I was quite worried about what Carlisle wanted to talk about.

"I'll make it up to you later." I whispered seductively in his ear, and jumped off the bed to put on Edward's large shirt from the floor.

Edward pulled me to him from behind, kissing my neck delicately.

"Soon." He whispered, more like purred, into my ear.

We bounced down the stairs, delighted that we could do this for a week on Isle Esme. We could have the whole day, every day, to ourselves. We arrived at the bottom of the stairs, to find Carlisle glaring at our half naked bodies.

"Explain to me why I've just received a phone call at the hospital, telling me that Edward assaulted the principal! And why Bella has supposedly got a broken leg?"

"Sorry Dad, I guess we forgot to tell you. It was Alice's idea. Me and Edward just wanted to get out for school for a while." I replied quietly, realising our mistake.

"Yeah I guess you did forget! So how does that explain why Edward assaulted a teacher?!" Carlisle continued arguing. He had every right to I suppose – we really should have told him.

"He wouldn't move out of the way so that I could get Bella in the car. He said I had no right to look after her. I have every right! I'm her husband for crying out loud!"

"Edward you may have a right to protect her, but not to assault a human! What if you seriously hurt him?" Carlisle reasoned. I noted the level of his voice had decreased, due to the fact he was trying to calm everyone down. Edward pulled me closer, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind, covering up my exposed skin where his shirt didn't. It was actually quite embarrassing being this exposed in front of my Dad. I'm surprised Edward didn't feel the same in his tight boxers.

"Well I didn't. And because Bella had 'hurt her leg' we are going to got away for a while. That was the whole point. I haven't spent enough time with my wife yet. We're barely married and are already back at school." Wow. I couldn't believe Edward felt exactly the same as me. Then again, we did have pretty much identical personalities.

"Okay, I suppose I understand. But please don't think that assaulting someone is acceptable, Edward. I think you need to control your temper better. Maybe some time away together might do you both some good."

"Thanks Carlisle." We both said at the same time, causing us all to giggle.

"Now can me and Bella please go back upstairs? We were kind of busy." I felt blood rush to my cheeks, but no blush appeared. I guess it would never appear again. Then again, I certainly didn't miss it. It was like a way for Edward to get into my mind and tell him what I was thinking. I liked it best when my thoughts were kept private. Carlisle just laughed and shook his head, obviously quite put back with Edward's openness. Well it was hard not to be open when we were dressed in practically nothing.

"I've got to get back to the hospital. You've been excluded from school for a while anyway Edward, so your free to be away from school. Don't get up to anything I wouldn't do while I'm at work." Carlisle chuckled then turned and picked up his car keys and briefcase.

"I'll get Alice to book tickets for Rio tonight." I said with a huge smile plastered across my face, matching Edwards.

"Ready to be ravished Mrs Cullen?" Edward whisked me up into his arms, bridal style and ran us up the stairs as fast as he could go. Now we could carry on where we left off. The door shut behind us, and we bounced onto the bed.

_A/N: Thank you for all you kind reviews, but I really want more! What do you want to happen on Isle Esme? Please review and tell me!!!  
How do you like cheeky Edward? Personally I love him anyway he is!  
Katie x  
P.S Please Review!!!_


	15. Chapter 15: Departure

Chapter 15: Departure

_A/N: I'm really disappointed with the lack of reviews! It's taken me AGES to write the last two chapters, and I haven't done my coursework because of it! So please review and make my time worthwhile! What do you want to happen on Isle Esme???  
Katie x _

_P.S Of course a big thank you to those who did review! I love each and every one of you!_

The night was long and blissful, drawing to a close as the sun rose in the East, glistening through the glass walls, cascading down on our naked bodies. In the distance, we could both hear birds chirping their morning songs, and the golden leaves rustling in their autumnal dances. Nobody talked. Anything that we said at this point would not even compare to the blissful state that we were both currently in.

Hours passed, and we were still caught up in the moment. My passion for Edward would never decrease, only heighten. I was still amazed how perfect our love was. There was not one discrepancy – not one misunderstanding. We truly loved each other through and through, including all of our flaws, not that Edward had many.

"Alice has booked tickets for tonight. She thought it would be safer to fly when there was little light." Edward commented, distracting me from my reverie.

"Hmm," I replied, pushing myself up onto my elbow and wrapping my other arm over his hard chest, "What do you think we could do to pass the time?" I said cheekily, and my hair cascading down over my shoulder, creating a ravaged look.

"I wonder." Edward said questioningly, with a confused look on his face. You could tell he was trying to create the impression that he was deep in thought. It was so cute.

"Nope I'm completely stuck!" Edward laughed cheekily with a huge smile on his face.

"Well I had something in mind, but you obviously don't want it." I joked, but a dramatic disappointed look crept upon his face. I knew he was joking, but I couldn't resist the puppy dog look.

"Perhaps I could give you a clue Mr Cullen." I purred whilst pushing myself up to sit on his waist. I leaned down to kiss is lips gently, teasing him playfully.

"I think I just remembered." He answered coyly, a huge smirk playing at his lips.

***

"Bella! Edward! Get down here! You need to let me help you pack." Alice chimed from downstairs. We had practically been locked in the bedroom for twenty hours. Sp I guess we needed to spend some time with the others before we departed. A break was just what we both needed, and to be quite honest, I think the others need a break from us too. But the thought of having Alice pack for me sent shivers down my spine. Letting Alice pack for you was like waving a piece of meat in front of a hungry lion; dangerous and stupid. I can remember the frivolities she packed for me on our honey moon. I don't think there was one piece of suitable clothing in there, except for the clothes that I was already dressed in. A side from the hundreds of miniscule bikinis and clad pieces of lingerie were mountains of sunglasses and gallons of sun block. It was nice of her to think of my once frail human skin, but did she seriously think that I needed to bathe in it?

"Can we please tell her no?" Edward asked. He looked as worried as I did, and I could tell he was scared by the way he was asking me about our sister. I was usually the one asking him. I laughed quite loudly and sat up, to hear what atrocity came out of Alice's mouth when she heard Edward's request.

"Fine Edward! If you think that you can do better, why don't you pack Bella's case and she can pack yours. I know you'll need my help, so you you'll come calling soon enough!" Alice shouted quite abusively. She could really get wound up by us not all being as passionate about clothing as her.

"That's quite a good idea actually Edward and it will give us both something interesting to do." I spoke softly to him, thinking of all the nice things I could put in for him. My mind quickly wondered to the flirtatious swimming trunks that he practically lived in on our honey moon. The way they rode low on his abs, revealing the deep 'V', was just so desirable. If I had my way, he would always wear them or nothing at all.

"Yeah but what's the point? Anything that we put on each other will just get ripped off, so let's just put some lacy panties in for you and a few sexy bras, and we'll be okay." Edward said chuckling, all the time tickling my stomach.

"Ha-ha good idea, but I don't think Alice would be too impressed. Even though you know that I'm more than willing to oblige Mr Cullen."

"Come on then. If were packing each other's cases, I had better get shopping." Edward said solemnly whilst sitting up and pushing his legs over the end of the bed to put some underwear on.

"Fancy joining me in the shower?" I asked with a cheeky smile playing at the edges of my mouth.

"Of course."

We raced each other to the bathroom, laughing excitedly all the while. It was only just sinking in that I was going back to my real home. Isle Esme. It was the place where Edward had transformed me, a place that would always have a special fondness in my heart.

We turned the water up high and the temperature to blistering, getting lost in the waterfalls, but lost together. It was so easy to get lost in Edward's beauty, and adding steamy embraces under water didn't help me find myself.

After we finished washing, Edward turned the shower off and grabbed a large fluffy towel from the holder. He wrapped it around my wet skin, kissing where his fingers touched. My whole skin was tingling with electricity from his touches. It was like my skin was in flames, but good flames, not like the ones when I was transformed. I shuddered at the memory, and repressed it to the back of my mind. I was here now with Edward, and that was the main thing. There's no point looking back on painful memories.

We slowly walked into the bedroom, hand in hand, both wrapped in fluffy towels. Even though the cold didn't bother me anymore, the towel was at least good for the softness against my skin.

"You really don't need to go shopping. I've got plenty of new things in my closet, courtesy of Alice." I reasoned. I just didn't like the thought of Edward spending even more money on me, when the likely hood is that the items he will buy will just get ripped to shreds in the matter of seconds whilst were there. Heck, they would probably get ripped to shreds here. We just couldn't control our lustful emotions like the others could. I guess it will come with time, but to be honest, I didn't want it to ever end. The way I felt about Edward was unbelievable, mind blowing in fact, and I always crave his company.

"But I want to pick you out some nice things. It's different when I buy you things. Alice just buys in bulk. I buy what I want you to have and what will look amazing. You know that we will both treasure anything that I buy you." He had a point, and I would most certainly adore and treasure anything he picked out for me.

"You know I still don't feel totally comfortable with you spending money on me. I guess I've always been so independent." I thought through. It was probably the logical reason why I never wanted to be treated so much. Even when I lied with my mother, I was the adult in the situation, and I had to take care of her. And when I moved in with Charlie, he was at work most of the time and not on a huge wage, so I had to support myself and my rustic truck with my pay packet from the Newton's store. I've never had to depend on anyone but myself, and I guess that it's hard to transition so quickly.

"Bella, I'm your husband. It's my duty to provide for you, and that's exactly what I'm going to do, whether you want me to or not."

"I guess I'm not going to win this battle am I?" I asked, raising an eyebrow and smirking at him. I had never gotten into an argument with him since our marriage, and I didn't want to make something out of nothing. Neither of us deserves that. So I sucked in a breath and muttered an acceptance under my breath. Edward immediately cheered up, and he was soon bouncing around, getting ready to the mall.

He was ready in no time, dressed in a light grey hoody, jeans and a brown leather jacket on top. His leather shoes combined with the jacket brought out subtle hints of chestnut in his hair, and his eyes sparkled with his happiness. I just could not get over how happy we both are.

"Edward if you looked this good every day, I would not let you out of the house. I don't want you to go as it is. I may just have to lock you up as my slave." I laughed whilst looking back down to my book, sprawled across the top of the mattress. I could feel is eyes, drifting lustfully over my still naked body. It was my way of telling him not to go, but I knew that he wanted to do this for me. I pulled the fluffy sheet over my body, rolling my eyes, causing yet another laugh to escape from his perfect lips.

"Just go! At least that way you'll be back sooner." I said glumly, not wanting to spend any time away from him at all.

"Okay, love. I promise I won't be too long."

"Missing you already. Anyway, at least I can catch up on some missed Wuthering Heights time. I'm afraid I've been too distracted at night to read."

"In that case, you'd better try and read a bit extra, because you will certainly be quite distracted tonight as well." Edward laughed evilly whilst picking up his car keys and wallet from the side. His hair was as wild as ever, just the way I like it.

"If that's the way it is, I will do my best to read the book several times over. I'm sure with my new vampire reading, it is most likely possible." Edward walked casually over, smiling sweetly. I'm sure he was torn up inside, not wanting to leave either after what had happened when Carlisle regrettably sent him away. He knew I was still touchy about that.

"See you later sweety. I promise not to be too long." He bent down and pressed his lips to mine causing me to drop my book and pull him down. After too short an amount of time, Edward pulled away. It reminded me of my weak human days when Edward would always be the one pulling away. I grabbed his collar quite forcefully and pulled him back down. I wanted to be the one to pull away, but I'm sure that Edward thought that old habits die hard. After one last passionate kiss, I told him to go and hurry back home.

The room seemed much quieter after he left, and I soon felt quite lonely. I pulled on a hoody, jeans and converse, not caring what Alice would think of my choices. I honestly didn't know what to pack for Edward that would be special enough. I didn't just want to pack his own clothes as he was putting so much effort into mine. Maybe I should go shopping too?

I quickly bounded down the stairs to find Alice waiting at the bottom. She could probably see my plan in action and know exactly which stores I should hit first with the best swimming trunks for Edward.

"Got anything for me Alice?" I asked, knowing that she would have told me anyway. As soon as I spoke the first syllable, she immediately started rambling on about different stores which Edward likes and which have got sales on. Luckily for my self esteem and tendency to try and not spend too much, swimming trunks were not that sought after in Alaska, so they were usually on the sale racks. Not that I wanted to buy Edward anything luxurious, but I found it much easier to spend money when I knew that it would be going to something worthwhile.

"Well there's a good sale on in Armani and Calvin Klein. Oh! And how could I forget –" I cut her off their, already hearing too much information. I could probably do all my shopping in Armani, and get home as soon as possible. I wanted to spend some time with the girls before we went, because we really do not spend enough time together. There was usually one of us tied up with our respective husbands at any one time. It was so hard to fir family bonding in between having a husband. I laughed internally at how pathetic that sounded.

"Enough Alice! That will do! Don't go overboard on me." I smiled politely at her, hoping that I didn't upset her too much. I ran back upstairs, ignoring Alice's puppy dog looks, hoping that I would soon become immune to them. I pulled on a pair of huge sunglasses, wary of my dark eyes and even darker bags underneath them. I hadn't been hunting in a few days, so I looked as if I hadn't slept in two weeks straight. Of course I hadn't, but they didn't need to know this. I did nothing with my hair except put two pins in to keep it off my face, leaving it to tumble down my back in elegant twists. Leaving my converse and hoody on, I grabbed my purse and car keys and made my way to the garage, calling a goodbye over my shoulder. I decided to take the Audi so I could get there and back faster, and have fun whilst driving it at the same time. I could see that Edward had taken the Vanquish, and I didn't want to be out done.

Pushing the open button on the key and on hearing the usual bleep signalling that the metallic doors were open, I pulled the handle and climbed inside. It was much harder than climbing into my old Chevy because of the low lying seat. As I was about to shut the door, Alice came running into the garage, trying to tell me of other stores that I should visit. I felt really guilty, but I excused myself and shut the door, revving the engine to drown out her voice. There was only so much of Alice and shopping that I could take within a day. I'm afraid that I've already reached my limit. Maybe I should pick her up something whilst I was there to try and make it up to her. I'm sure that I haven't been the best of sisters recently, having being busy with Edward constantly.

I pulled out of the cavernous garage and revved the engine even more, bringing it alive. It felt so revitalizing to really put my foot down, and if I was human, I'm sure I would be begging myself to bring the car down to a safe speed. Any speed was safe for me now – I could control any situation within a car.

I reached the mall and parked away from the main entrance, not wanting any added attention today. Of course, I still got a few stares, but I couldn't help the obsessive humans. I walked, ignoring the on lookers until I reached the main entrance. My mind remembered that the Armani store was at the other end of the mall, so I walked as quickly as I could at human pace, trying not to give the onlookers anything to stare at.

When I finally lifted my head when I reached the store, a familiar scent encapsulated my senses. I could pick out that scent from millions. The familiar floral yet woodsy and aromatic scent definitely belonged to Edward. I scanned the surrounding area, letting my senses pick out where the scent was most concentrated. I looked and looked until my eyes set upon the Gucci store. Figures, I muttered to myself. Not wanting to disturb Edward and because of the urgent shopping that needed to be done, I made my way into the Armani store. Of course I would know that Edward was here – why hadn't I thought of that sooner? I really didn't think it was worth the risk of not packing Edward anything just to hook up in the mall toilets. Of course, that would be nice – well more than nice – but we really needed to control ourselves, especially in public.

I walked into the store to find a very envious sales woman behind the desk. For crying out loud! I was only dressed in converse and a hoody! Why is everyone so obsessed? My current attire gave nothing away about my marital or financial status, so why was everyone thinking that I was so special? Of course my glittering wedding band and eternity ring glistened in the bright lights of the store, but could their weak human eyes really notice them?

I made my way over to where I noticed so smart jackets and shirts. I didn't just want to get Edward clothes for Isle Esme; I wanted to treat him to some new gear for everyday use. It's not often that I come out shopping on my own, so I thought that I'd better take advantage of the situation, and treat Edward like he was most certainly treating me in Gucci. I really didn't want clothes from such designer origins, but it was Edward's choice, so I'm not going to rebel so as not to upset him. Therefore, I must treat him the same, and these jackets would look really gorgeous on him. I was beginning to sound like Alice, and that was definitely not a good thing. I really hated the fact that I was being drawn into the world of shopping by Alice, but it was unbelievingly hard to stop myself, and pull myself back into reality.

In the end, I had decided on a brown leather jacket, a few casual shirts, plenty of swimming trunks for the island, and some other odd nick-knacks that I thought Edward would love. With my huge strength, I carried all of the items I chose over to the cash register, and the saleswoman looked quite astonished that I could hold them all.

"Please don't tell me the total." I asked the woman, with as much dignity that I could muster. The thing I noticed the most was that she had spotted my wedding rings, and couldn't keep her eyes off of them. I smiled politely at her, bringing her back into the real world and making her carry on packing up my items. I pulled my purse out of my hand bag and picked out a credit card at random. I had so many cards which were all unused, that I thought of them as being pretty pointless. I handed her the card, and she all but snatched it out of my hand, with a bitter expression radiating from her face. I turned to walk towards the door, three he bags in my hands when I noticed that Edward was leaning against the door frame to the shop. In his hands were tens of shopping bags, all from different shopping stores, that I couldn't even pronounce the names to. I walked quickly up to him, dropping my bags at his feet, and stretching up on my tiptoes to wrap my arms around his neck. I was so wrapped up in the bitter sales woman that I didn't even notice that his scent was circulating me close by.

"I've missed you." I whispered in his ear. On hearing this, he pressed his lips to mine, and I can't remember anything that happened after that until we both reached our cars. Quite funnily, he had relocated his Vanquish next to mine, but I was still sad that we had to drive home separately, having brought two cars. I should have just gone with him in the first place. At least that way I would have had his company for even longer.

***

"Are we ready?" Edward asked me. I was sitting in the living room, curled p on the couch, reading my much abused copy of Wuthering Heights. Our bags were packed and were loaded into the trunk of Edward's car, and we were both now just doing our own thing and spending some time with the family before we left. I know that Esme was incredibly sad to not have our company for a week, but I promised her that I would do something special with her once I got back. The sun had fallen, and glistening stars were shining brightly in the night time sky. Our tickets were booked for Rio into about three hours, but we were heading early to get some duty free essentials that Alice had requested for us to get her. The girl was beyond hope.

"Yep. Just let me finish this page." I replied excitedly. Edward laughed casually at my enthusiasm. After a near one hundred years of life, Edward was much better in controlling his emotions, whether they are happiness, sadness, guilt or whatever. That was something I would learn over time_. Add it to the bottom of the list_, I thought. I finished reading the page, even though I hadn't taken in a word due to my exciting upcoming week. I shut my book up, and added it to my hand bag, determined to read some on the long plane ride. I smiled proudly at Edward, and he quite suddenly lifted me up off of the couch and kissed my forehead. I smiled even wider, if that was possible, and kissed his jaw. Edward's smile impossibly got larger too. He put me down on my feet, and I picked up my bag as we began to say our goodbyes to everyone. They all seemed quite depressed that we would be away for a week, but I knew that they secretly were happy that the lovebirds would be out of the nest for a while.

My final goodbye was to Carlisle. I was standing a few feet away from him, and he also smiled proudly at the both of us. He nodded his head.

"Have a great week." Carlisle spoke calmly. He sounded as if he was bottling up his emotions, but being the coven leader, he had to do so.

"Thank you Dad." I stepped forward and hugged him tightly. I would genuinely miss each and every one of my family members. Edward nodded in the direction of Carlisle, obviously at some of his thoughts. That I could not get used to, and I would have to confront them about it one day. But for now, I was blissful and didn't want to interrupt the perfect and quite emotional moment.

After our goodbyes were said, we turned away and walked towards the garage, hand in hand. It really shouldn't be so hard to say goodbye for only a week, but were all that closely knit, that it's literally devastating. We climbed into the Volvo as our cases wouldn't fit in the smaller cars except for the Jeep and Chevy, but Edward absolutely adored his little silver car. Instead of turning the ngine on, Edward turned to me, resting his hand on my leg.

"Are you ready Mrs Cullen?"

"Of Course. I can't wait!"

_A/N: So what do you think? Did you like this chapter? What do you want to happen on Isle Esme???  
Please Review!!!!  
Katie x_


	16. Chapter 16: Arrival

Chapter 16: Arrival

_A/N: Thank you so much for all your reviews! And an extra special thank you to people who have reviewed again and again, and to TWSnowWhite who reviewed my work on her blog: PeaceLoveTwilight! Also, a great thanks to people who have given me ideas and suggestions to what they want to happen on Isle Esme. I will give you all credit if I use the ideas :) But please carry on reading and reviewing! As requested, why not check out MyLifeIsEdwardCullen's work?  
Love you all!  
Katie x_

The car journey seemed long and laborious, dragging on just to annoy me. The space in the car buzzed with excitement, and not just from me. Edward was also wriggling in his seat, dying to get on the plane and onwards to Rio. We would pick up the boat from there, just like we did on our honeymoon.

Darkness had crept over the land, and the whole of the surrounding area transformed to fit in with the blackness. Dew had encapsulated the autumnal leaves, and I could hear small mammals running and darting, hunting for food.

We were well over the speed limit heading to the air port, but I couldn't help the urge to tell Edward to go even faster. He chuckled at my request, and floored the gas pedal until we were practically flying over the free way. Taking one hand off the steering wheel, he pulled me closer so he could wrap his arm around my shoulders. I took advantage of the situation and snuggled closer into his warm embrace. He kissed the top of my head softly, and miraculously, he pushed the gas pedal down even further, even though I thought we were going full speed.

"Love you." I whispered against his side. Out of the corner of my eye, I noted him smiling proudly. He looked down to meet my gaze, and I instantly got lost within the deep pool of his yes. Pulling me out of them, he leant his head down and kissed my lips ever so gently.

"Love you too."

I snuggled in even closer, and closed my eyes, drawing in Edward's scent which I have already mesmerized millions of times. I lifted my face, minutes later at the smell of kerosene and burnt rubber. Airports were really horrible places to be for a vampire. The smell of nervous and excited humans, topped with the strong fuel smells make you feel quite dizzy and nauseated.

"Were here baby." Edward said smiling broadly whilst pulling into the closest parking space. I straightened up in my seat and smoothed down my top which had ridden up slightly during our embrace.

"Do you want me to go and get the parking ticket?" I asked, eager to get in the departure lounge. He chuckled again at my anticipation, and pulled out his wallet for me to pay for the ticket.

"I'll get the bags out of the trunk. Be careful." I climbed out of my seat and walked quickly over to the ticket machine. I could still see Edward in my eye line, but humans wouldn't have been able to because of the darkness. The full moon shone high in the sky, surrounded by admiring stars. The parking lot was empty and desolate, yet the atmosphere still felt eerie. I rushed to pay for the ticket so I could get back to Edward sharply. Any time that I spent away from him, I felt vulnerable, even with something as trivial as getting a parking ticket when he was about one hundred feet away. I guess we depend on each other to survive. The machine buzzed in accordance with the money I had entered, and a ticket grumpily spat out from the slot. I eagerly grabbed it into my awaiting hands and turned on my heels to face Edward across the parking lot. He smiled cheekily at me whilst pulling up the handles on the cases and winking at me playfully.

"Come on Cullen! Alice won't be very pleased of we don't get her duty free goodies!" Laughing, I pulled out a compact mirror that Alice always insists that I carry. She even threatened me once with kidnapping Edward if I didn't carry a makeup kit in my bag. I swear that the girl has lost it. However, it could at least serve a purpose now, just to tease Edward. I took my time, all the while teasing him as I knew how excited he was. I tousled my hair to make sure it fell in exactly the right way. I then slowly applied a small coat of lip gloss, checking that the edges were perfect. I could see Edward shift his weight from one foot to the other, huffing and puffing as he did so. He then started laughed in disbelief as I looked up from my mirror and winked playfully at him. I made my way over to him, quite slowly to play with him even more. When I finally reached his side, I stretched up on my tiptoes to whisper in his ear.

"Quite impatient today aren't we Mr Cullen? Are you excited to go home?" _Home_. That's exactly how I saw Isle Esme in my mind. It wasn't just the place where I was transformed by Edward, but it was the place where my life had completely turned around, and where we totally committed ourselves to each other.

"I love that you call it home. So do I."

I pulled my case to my side, and adjusted the handle so that I could wheel it in. I might look slightly strange for a petite framed girl to carry a case in which was the size of a small house courtesy of Edward's shopping trip. We both haven't looked in our cases – that was a surprise for the island.

"Ah! Let me get your case missy!" He laughed. Being as stubborn as usual, I kept hold of my case and wrapped my arm around his waist.

"If you carry my case, then who's going to hold my hand?" I questioned cheekily. A fake shocked expression crosses his face.

"No one will ever hold your hand except for me Mrs Cullen." He chuckled. His tone was quite serious, but it made me feel all giddy inside at this prospective.

"I think we should call Mike and see what he thinks about that. I'm sure he won't be too impressed." I laughed, remembering all the times that Mike had tried to ask me out. I was pretty adamant that Edward's thoughts were down the same path as mine as he stiffened at my side slightly and how eyes turned a deep shade darker.

"Let's get inside." He smiled, returning to his blissful state gradually. But instead of leading us both inside, Edward pushed me playfully up against the side of the Volvo, distracting me from my thoughts of Mike Newton. Believe me, they were disgusting thoughts. He attacked my lips hungrily, and in response, I parted my lips and wrapped my leg around his. Our hands both tangled in each other's hairs, and we were momentarily distracted from going inside the airport. Edward's lips sweetly moved down to my neck, and his hungry hands began roaming my body.

"Mike. Newton. Will. Never. Have. You." Edward stated passionately between kisses. In a way, I love it when Edward gets jealous like this. He takes all of his aggression out on my body, leaving, me begging for more kisses and touches.

I giggled playfully and deepened our kisses by pulling his lips back to mine. Once again, my body began aching for more.

He pulled away to talk once more, and there was nothing else I wanted except for his lips to be back on mine.

"Do you know how tempting it is to pull you onto the back seat of the car? Come on we had better check in." Edward commented playfully. It would be quite ironic that our passionate week away would be delayed because of our embraces in the airport parking lot.

***

We wheeled our cases into the check in lounge and the bright lights blinded my eyes temporarily. I flinched back and blinked furiously.

"Bright – isn't it?" Edward commented noticing my reaction.

"You could say that." I replied. The airport was surprisingly quiet, and we only had to wait a few minutes to check in. We walked quickly up to the counter, arm in arm, with my thin heels clinking off the tiled floor. The woman behind the desk looked incredibly tired yet trying to put a mask of happiness on. Her bright blonde hair was piled on top of her hair in a neat, army like bun, with not a strand out of place. Her bright red uniform which was built quite heavily contrasted sickly with her pale, Alaskan, skin, and the dark bags under her eyes made her look ten years older than she probably is. She smiled politely accentuating her bright red lips which were smudged slightly on the top right corner. I registered all of this within half a second of seeing her.

When the woman noticed our presence, she wouldn't take her eyes off my husband. It was like she couldn't look away or she would die. What was her mad obsession like with so many other delusional women? Edward handed her our passports and tickets and also put our bags on the side counter. The woman hastily opened both our passports and put them side by side, facing her. Her eyes widened, incredulous to the fact that they said: 'Mr Edward Cullen' and 'Mrs Isabella Cullen'. Why could people just not get over that we were married?

"So what are you doing in Rio, Mr Cullen?" She addressed Edward directly, blocking me out of her eye line even though I was attached to Edward's side. Edward paused and turned to me, raising his eye brows as if to say: 'Catch a hold of this one!' Instead of Edward ignoring the intrusive lady, I butted in to make sure, and doubly sure that she did not have an inkling of a chance with Edward.

"It's our second honey moon. Were picking up our boat from Rio and travelling to my mother's island." She forced a smile onto her face and jotted something down on a scrap of paper. I couldn't see because of the way she angled the covers of the passports. I only caught the last three characters that she printed. They were two digits of her phone number and a heart symbol. Seriously? Did she really think that I was that much of a push over and that Edward could be won over that quickly?

She plastered another smile on her face, directed solely at Edward, and handed him our passports back and our boarding passes. She left the slip of paper showing out of Edward's passport, and I noticed him looking disbelievingly at it.

"Have a nice flight." She stated coldly in my direction, the first time she had actually acknowledged me.

"We sure will," Edward replied as he picked up our passports and removed the slip of paper whilst scrunching it in his palm, "and we won't need this thank you very much." The lady looked disbelievingly at us both, but tried to keep some scraps of dignity by straightening her posture and tapping away aimlessly at her keyboard. I'm pretty sure that she didn't even have anything to type. Edward wrapped his arm around my waist as it was much easier now that our suitcases had gone to be loaded onto the plane. I was still so shocked by the tenacity of that crude woman. How dare she try and give her phone number to my husband! Edward looked pissed by her actions, but did not let it affect his hold on me. We were going to enjoy this holiday. I was going to make sure of it.

After we had walked into the departure lounge and found the duty free store for Alice, we both already felt drained, even though it wasn't possible. We just toppled Alice's requests into a basket, not even caring to check to see if it was what she wanted. We just couldn't be bothered with it all to day. All we wanted was to be back on the island, and probably snuggled up in bed in the white room.

"Don't worry baby, we'll be there soon." Edward whispered reassuringly into my ear. He really did know when and how to comfort me when I felt stressed or upset. I guess that's what immortality does to you. After an hour of lazing around in the departure lounge, and once again pretending to drink coffee, we were finally ready to board the plane. We walked out onto the tarmac to find that the weather had plummeted slightly and the wind chopping in a wild dance around my hair. Even Edward's was blowing ferociously. As we reached the top of the stairs on the aircraft, Edward handed the woman our tickets, and she directed us to the front of the plane, away from the other passengers. Thankfully, she wasn't interested in stealing my husband like others were. I smiled politely at her. I soon realised as we were walking down the seats to the front, that Edward had made sure that we had first class seats. I would usually try to complain, stating that it wasn't necessary, but it seemed like I couldn't win with anything anymore. And anyway, I was warming to the idea of lying with Edward in one of the collapsible seats. There was nothing comparable to the feeling of his body next to mine and his arms wrapped around me. It makes me feel so safe and loved.

We both collapsed into one of the booked seats, and he sat me proudly on his lap whilst I fiddled with the controls to make the seat expand and lower. I still couldn't figure how to do it, and so Edward interceded to speed up the process. I looked down to Edward, and his bright smile beamed up to me. He looked so happy, and I couldn't even describe my reaction to this. I caressed his cheek and leaned down to kiss him fully on the lips. I sat back up and kicked my stupid shoes off and Edward absent mindedly played with a strand of my hair. He then swept my cascading hair down to the opposite side so I could lie on him quite comfortably. This was going to be a very long flight.

The engines started on the huge plane, and the air stewards began their rounds, making sure that everyone was belted up and ready to fly. A weedy looking man made his way to our seats, and Edward growled instinctively from his chest. I could only imagine what this man's thoughts were.

"Excuse me madam but you need to be in your own seat whilst the plane takes off and lands." He stated in a business like fashion. Edward placed his right palm on my backside and began rubbing circles into my tight jeans, telling this pushy man exactly who I was with. I giggled playfully as I felt Edward's lips playing with my neck from underneath.

"She's quite happy where she is thank you." Edward said flirtatiously and then went back to kissing my neck in a way which should be illegal.

"Happy or not, you still have to move." Laughing, I pushed myself up and turned to face Edward who had a very puppy dog look on his face. I leant down to whisper in his ear.

"I'll be back in a minute Mr Cullen." A smile returned to his face as I sat in the seat to his left which was unfortunately closer to the intrusive steward. I pulled my seat belt from one side to the other, but I was sure it was broken as it wouldn't click into the lock. The steward stupidly reached across my chest to 'help' me with my seatbelt, but Edward's hand appeared as quick as lightening. He grabbed his wrist with just the right amount of pressure to cause him to stop leering at me. Edward looked so angry that he could burst. Edward then clicked my seat belt in for me and his rumbling chest still hadn't stopped. The steward looked surprised, but ignored any threat from Edward and walked to check on other passengers. If he had any sense, he wouldn't come down this isle again. Immediately, I unlocked my seat belt and jumped straight back onto Edward's lap. It was where I felt safe, and where I would stay for the remainder of the journey.

***

After both taking our turns to pretend to fall asleep, we sat talking of all the things that we both wanted to do on the island, apart from being trapped in the white room. We both had to pretend to fall asleep at some point as it was an incredibly long flight and the humans would probably get suspicious if we didn't doze off. At least I was in Edward's arms.

"Can we go swimming in the reefs? I will actually be able to keep up with you on this trip." I laughed, remembering the time when we went swimming, and I had to keep coming back up for a breath every thirty seconds or so. That wouldn't hold me back this time.

"Of course. We can do anything you want to, including swimming, as long as I get to see you in one of the small bikinis I brought you." He smiled devilishly, and I twisted my body round so that I was straddling his waist, teasing him further. I playfully kissed his succulent lips, leaving him begging for more. I knew what this type of kissing did to him, and so I was expecting any second for him to find us a private spot. That might be hard on a plane.

"Toilets. Now."

***

We both exited the toilet and found the same steward gawping at us. Laughing, I smoothed down my top and buttoned up my jeans. I saw Edward doing the same.

"That was very... interesting Mrs Cullen." Edward said coyly. That wasn't how he just was in the tight cubicle.

After several excruciatingly long hours on the flight, the pilot finally announced that we were about to land. We were both jumping up and down in our seat with excitement.

_A/N: So did you like this chapter??? Any suggestions as to what you want to happen on Isle Esme and when they get back home? An important thing I need to think about is do you want more fluff of more action/plot? I have an idea in my head as to where I want the story to end, and trust me, it's very fluffy! What do you think? Any questions?  
Please Review!!!  
Katie x_


	17. Chapter 17: Sunrise

Chapter 17: Sunrise

_A/N: I'm really disappointed with the lack of reviews again :( Please cheer me up by reviewing! It only takes a second.  
Thanks to 'decowoman' who suggested the dangerous things whilst swimming :)  
Katie x_

We finally exited the plane, and we were both relieved to get away from the pushy steward who took advantage of the small space that we were in. We were also relieved to be away from the stressed humans with quickening hearts and adrenaline filled blood streams. This did not help to alleviate my vampiric nature.

It was early in the morning, and the sun still had not risen in the sky. The dull light contrasted with the bright, intense lights when we went to pick up our cases. I'm sure that on this part of the journey last time, I was probably asleep in Edward's arms. In a way, it is where I want to be right now, but the feeling of standing at Edward's side is just so empowering. Since becoming a vampire, I have never felt like I don't belong with Edward. Everything just seems so natural. Like breathing.

We pulled out our bags from the revolving surface, and quickly made a swift exit to get a taxi cab so we could get on the boat quicker. The journey just seemed too long, or it was probably just my frazzled nerves. Whatever it was made we want to get there even quicker. Quicker than the speed of lightening if that were possible.

I jumped in the back of the cab outside of the airport whilst Edward loaded the bags in the trunk. In the meantime, I decided to check my phone to see whether Alice had texted us. I went into my inbox to find two messages – one from Alice and one from... Charlie?! When did he learn to use a mobile phone - or anything technologic at all?

Edward jumped in the back with me and pulled me closer whilst telling the driver directions in a foreign language. I was unsure of what it was, and therefore intend on making Edward teach me some different languages before our next visit. I would probably only take me an hour to master one!

Edward noticed my distraction at my mobile, and looked down to see what I was so shocked about. Instead of reading Alice's first, I went straight to Charlie's, dumbfounded that he could actually text. Edward also appeared shocked as I looked up quickly to acknowledge the strangeness. The text message read:

_Hey Bells! If you get this it means it's worked! Hope everything is okay, and that Edward is looking after you well. Hoping to surprise you soon, so stay tuned. The place is lonely without you, and the food isn't up to much! Missing you - Charlie._

I looked back up to Edward again to see he was as speechless as me.

"Surprise me? How?" I asked even though I knew that Edward would not have the answers.

"I haven't got a clue. Anyway let's put the phone away. I'm sure Alice won't mind being ignored for a week. This is our time after all." Edwards answered. It was true – this was our holiday, and we didn't want to be interrupted by our pixie sister. I replied quickly to Charlie, stating that we were both doing fine and that we hope that he was too. I turned into Edward's side, resting my head on his chest and closing my eyes as if I were about to sleep. Edward's soothing touches made me want to fall asleep, even if it weren't possible. Edward rested his head on my shoulder, and also closed his eyes. I think we were both exhausted with anticipation, not just with the long journey we had made. We still had further to go.

Before I knew it, the taxi driver had pulled up at the side of the harbour. The only clue I had that we were her was the strong smell of salt and brine from the clear ocean to our right. I lifted my head which distracted Edward from wherever his thoughts were. He too looked surprised, but he surely must have smelt the ocean. I raised my head to kiss his cheek, and he then looked like he was back in reality.

Edward lifted himself up so he could take out his wallet and pay the driver. The driver, who was of a clear Brazilian decent, nodded his head in recognition. He smelt quite clearly of cigarette smoke and mint flavoured chewing gum; totally unappetizing for a vampire. He did not look happy to have us in the back of his cab, and I suspect that this was because of his beliefs towards vampires. Just like Kaure when we first came here, I think that this man knew exactly what we were. I tried reassuring him that we were safe by smiling at him, but he just looked down to his lap, scared of the affects of my smile. I dropped my smile, afraid of what stress my niceties would inflict on his life. Edward pulled me out of the car hastily, presumably because of the danger of the driver's thoughts. He looked innocent enough, but if he truly believed that we were a threat to him, he could snap and do something that would only hurt himself, and not us. As soon as we had pulled our cases out of the trunk, the driver sped off, pushing his foot down on the accelerator.

I turned to Edward, and he just looked disbelievingly in the open space where the car once was a second ago.

"People's presumptions cause more trouble than we actually are." Edward mumbled. He looked genuinely upset.

"We know that we wouldn't hurt them, so don't let it upset you." I smiled and stepped closer to him so I could wrap my arm around his neck, stretch up on my tip toes and kiss his cheek chastely. He seemed to snap out of his uncomfortable trance, and then looked down to meet my gaze. His gaze was blistering with passion, and it made me want to well up just looking at him. He looked... so in love, that happiness just overcame me. Even though the boat was just to our right so we could get to the island, we stood there, for what felt like hours, locked in each other's gazes and embraces. Time didn't seem to matter when you had forever.

***

Flying through the early morning skies and feeling the wind whipping through my hair was mesmerizing. I will never forget the feeling as it is something that is so unique to the island. We stood at the steering wheel, Edward behind me with his arms wrapped around so we could both drive the boat. To be honest, I wasn't worried with driving the boat straight, just with the gorgeous man standing behind me with his arms cradling me. He was _my_ gorgeous man.

The first rays of light were beginning to creep across the surface of the water which caused sparkles to glisten from all directions. It truly was a beautiful sight and feeling when you could have anything you could possibly dream of right next to you, in glorious surroundings. As the sun began to rise, the island also took shape in the distance, increasingly growing as we got closer. Each second that passed felt like an hour. We were both buzzing with excitement and enthusiasm. From a distance, the island looked as perfect as I last remembered it, but as we got closer and closer, it seemed to be even more spectacular. The way the palm trees gracefully twisted and the leaves danced in the wind just looked truly astonishing. The crystal blue water trickled gently around the boat, and the fine, white sand which I could see looked so smooth that you could sink in it. Isle Esme, combined with Edward, was my idea of pure paradise. It is also what I expect heaven to be like, if we ever enter.

The skies were still dark, but the bright orange light was slowly becoming more and more concentrated to overpower the gloomy darkness. As the light swept over the water, both our moods shifted correspondingly. Edward took over the controls fully, but held me tight at his side as he did so. Even though I have unparallel senses, I still didn't trust myself to dock up the boat, even with Edward's guidance. Emmett would have had a good laugh at my expense if I had crashed the family yacht. We, or should I say Edward, parked up the boat in the small dock that the island had. Edward jumped of lithely, and then held my hand so I could jump off with his help. I then turned to get our bags, but Edward stopped me by pulling me backwards and into his waist.

"Don't worry about them – I'll get them later. First, I need to welcome you back and give you a tour of the bedroom." He said cheekily and after, began kissing my neck, just below my ear where he knew I couldn't resist anything he offered. A tour of the bedroom sounded like a brilliant plan to me. Before I realised what was happening, Edward had swooped me up into his arms, bridal style and began walking to the entrance of the colossal house.

"Welcome home, Mrs Cullen." Edward shouted excitedly. I laughed against his chest, adrenaline rushing through my system and escaping as squeals of joy. You can really tell that Alice is my sister. I'm now picking up her traits like squealing. It was becoming a joke.

We entered into the house, and it was just how I remembered it, clear as crystal and absolutely perfect. It was then that I hungrily attacked his lips, eager to have a "tour".

***

We stayed in the bedroom from sunrise to sunrise, starting a fresh day where we could do different activities and explore the island. Last time, I didn't get much chance to have a look around, so I promised myself that I would explore every inch of the area. Don't get me wrong – I loved being cooped up in the white room, but coming here was more than that. It defined us as a partnership, and that meant doing more.

I lay on the sofa, watching the same DVD that I did the last time when we were here, and Edward had to go out hunting. It brought back so many happy memories that it was hard to describe the emotions which my body was currently battling with. Edward lay behind me, cuddling me to him, both of us blissfully naked and relaxed. It had been an...exciting night to say the least, and now it was time for us to chill out and do different activities. For now though, Edward was content in swirling a strand of my hair in between his fingers, and I was happy to revel in the feeling of us both being so in love. Edward left near the end of the film to go and get our cases from the boat so we could both take a peek at what we had both packed for each other. In a way, I was both excited and dreading to see what Edward had packed. I was looking forward to seeing what he wanted me to wear, but dreading the thought of how much he had spent in the expensive stores which I had seen in him. It was probably about time that I got over my aversion to spending our money, but when I didn't earn any of it; it is hard to just spend it so freely.

Edward returned after a mere two and a half seconds with windblown hair and sand crunching in between his toes. He looked refreshed from his quick run, and his beaming smile just lit up the whole room, as once again, it was still sunrise. It seems as though sunrise is the most beautiful time of day on Isle Esme. He stood there, both suitcases at hand, smiling proudly at the goodies he had obviously gotten me. I sat up and took my case over to where there was a large space. I sat on the carpeted floor in front of the unlit fire and rested the case down so that I could open it. Edward did the same, and sat opposite of me, with our cases parallel to us in the middle of our bodies.

"Ready?" Edward asked, smirking, and with his left eyebrow raised.

"As I'll ever be." I replied chuckling. In an instant, both of our suit cases were unzipped, and we were both gawping at the items on top of the clothes piles. I looked over to Edward, wanting to see his expression to the first item on top of his clothes. Instead of a garment, it was the photo from beside of his bed back in Alaska which he absolutely treasures and adores. He looked like he was about to burst into tears, happy that he had something else with him that he could adorn to.

"Thank you for this. You honestly don't know how much it means to me." I smiled at him, and he almost leaped over the cases to smother my lips in fluttery kisses. We had forgotten completely about the cases until the faint smell of human drifted in through the open windows. I stiffened, alarming Edward who was deep into our embrace,

"Do you smell that?" I asked, worried that there shouldn't be anybody here. The smell became stronger, and it was still unrecognizable to me.

"Ugh! The cleaning crew are here!" Edward moaned whilst rolling off me. We both lay still for a second, thinking through what we should do. We hadn't even gotten any clothes on.

"What should we do?" I asked sheepishly. I wasn't used to dealing with these superstitious humans, and I didn't know what to expect if they came in here.

"We could always lock ourselves in the bedroom, Mrs Cullen. I haven't finished with you yet." Edward chuckled devilishly.

"Hmm that does sound tempting. Very tempting, but I want to go swimming in the corals." I reasoned. His idea sounded much better, but the corals just sounded so enticing.

"Okay, but you owe me tonight!" Edward laughed, and I have to admit that I laughed right alongside him. He was so cute and funny when he got like this. It's a side to Edward that only I have ever seen; not even our family has.

"Bathing suits?" I asked, but wanting him to say 'What's the point? They'll only get ripped off as soon as I get you in that water.' Just as I was about to pull out some trunks for him from his case, he stopped me.

"What's the point? They'll only get ripped off as soon as I get you in that water." I laughed uncontrollably at this. He had an enquiring look on his face, but I still kept on laughing, clutching at the air for breaths.

"What's so funny?" Edward asked, beginning to join in with my laughter, or probably just laughing at me as he saw my outburst as so strange.

"I was just expecting you to say that. Word for word." He laughed louder, and it faded out slowly as the cleaners scent began to get more and more concentrated.

"They're close. I can hear their thoughts now. They know that were here because of the boat. Come on lets go out of the back door and onto the beach my little naked wife." He chuckled and picked me up off the floor and set me onto my feet. I kissed his lips once, and stretched up even further to whisper into his ear.

"A promise is a promise. Tonight." He smiled at the prospective, grabbed my bum and greedily kissed my lips, wanting more than one. I pulled away flirtatiously.

"Wait for tonight Mr Cullen!" He laughed but held my hand and led us out to the back door. We made sure that the coast was clear, and ran down the sand, hand in hand, but completely naked. Walking slowly into the water, the sand collapsed easily under our feet. The water lapped gently against our thighs, and it felt so soothing as it was quite warm. I released Edward's hand and dived into the water, eager to explore the ocean floor for the first time as a vampire. Edward followed as I looked behind to see him underneath the water with me. It shocked me when he spoke that I could hear him so clearly. I guess that having advanced hearing would increase clarity when underneath the water.

"I bet I can beat you to the reef a few miles north." Edward smiled. I was still shocked that we could speak underwater. I guess I would just have to get used to it. Being a vampire, you get to experience so many new and crazy things that a human just wouldn't even dream of.

"You're on!" I replied hastily, but not being used to speaking under here, water entered my mouth quickly and the shock caused me to swallow. The water was unbelievingly salty, and my body instantly rejected it and pushed it back out. The water propelled from my mouth, and bubbles formed and floated mystically to the surface. The sun was now quite high in the sky, so the water was well lit at this point. Edward doubled over in hysterics, and I had a small giggle but I was just more embarrassed with this silly action. Edward still hadn't stopped laughing by the time that I had calmed down. I guess I would just have to get used to all of these new experiences.

"You're so cute sometimes Bella! One, two," I prepared myself for the speedy swim and levelled up with Edward in the water, "three!" I propelled myself into the water with all my might, and tried my hardest to refrain from jumping on Edward's back and letting him take me there. I resisted for about half of the journey, but neither of us was winning, so I jumped on his back and wrapped my arms around him, piggy back style. Edward just laughed but carried on at a constant speed and held my legs in place around his waist. We reached the reef only about two minutes later, but I kept a hold of Edward, not wanting to let go. I could tell he felt the same because he clutched me tighter.

At first sights, the coral was absolutely beautiful. It radiated various shimmering colours, each unique in their own right. The different textures caused the light to bounce in all directions. I was in complete awe of its beauty. I just sat on Edward's back for a few minutes, engrossed in the mesmerizing charms which this reef held. Edward was patient and watched me, as he probably knew the same feeling when he was first transformed.

Fish of all varieties darted in and out of the corals, and some floated gracefully in the water as if they were dancing to an unknown nautical tune. It was then that I looked to my right did I finally see the deep abyss which suddenly dropped down into unknown territories. I stiffened rigidly on Edward's back and tightened my arms around his neck, which had indefinitely caused him a lot of pain. He reached for my hands slowly, all the while making his actions as calming as possible.

"Relax Bella. I won't let anything happen to you." Edward soothed, but the abyss still scared me to near death. It was like an underwater hell, trapping you devilishly to your death. It couldn't hurt me, but the abyss still had a foreboding look about it. The sad thing is that it deep water stole my attention away from the reef and ruined the serene atmosphere. Edward could still tell that I was uncomfortable around the edge, so he pulled us further into the reef and away from the ledge. I felt slightly more comfortable, but the residence of sharks in this area also creeped me out until I was once again a nervous wreck. The sharks were also nervous because of our predatory smell, but they grew in confidence and came closer and closer to us. One was extremely brave and came within touching distance to us.

"Fancy trying some shark blood? Emmett enjoys it but we all find it too salty." I laughed, thinking of Emmett tackling a shark in the ocean and Rosalie being repulsed by his actions.

"Why not. That one looks particularly tasty." I joked, even though I couldn't imagine what one would actually taste like. Before I knew it, a shark had come so close, that it could have easily tried to attack me. It's ravenous teeth couldn't even pierce my skin, but it's not particularly nice having a shark hanging off your arm. Before the shark came too close, Edward quickly released me from his back and attacked the shark down to the ocean floor. It was hard to watch, as I didn't even want a small scratch on his perfect skin, and is was worrying to think that he was actually wrestling with a shark. The other animals dispersed from the area in fright, leaving only the shark in danger. In a matter of seconds, the fight was over and the shark's blood poured into the surrounding water. I swam down to help Edward out.

"Are you okay baby?" I asked, worried that he might be hurt somehow even though it wasn't possible. I had managed to control my breathing now so that water wasn't swallowed unintentionally. If it wasn't for the fact that Edward might me hurt, I would have plunged my teeth into the shark's neck having smelt the blood dripping from its carcass.

"I'm fine. Are you? You still look shaken. I swear I will kill anything if it even tries to touch a strand of hair on you head." His eyes turned black with anger and hunger. It was a scary sight, seeing Edward so pent up, but I pulled him to me and buried his head in my neck.

"Don't worry I'm fine. So shall we see if Emmett's still an outsider with the shark blood?" I asked, chuckling, tried to lift the mood in the water. Edward's eyes gradually turned back to their usual golden colour, and his body became less rigid after all the adrenaline had gone from his system. He laughed with me, and pulled his head out from my neck. As if we could read each other's minds, we both plunged into the shark at exactly the same moment.

***

After a long day in the water, we were both now sitting back in the living room, me on Edward's lap, reading our books. We were still both naked and hadn't worn clothes for over twenty four hours. It was just the way we liked it.

"I still can't believe that you actually enjoyed that shark's blood." Edward chuckled whilst looking up from his book. Edward commented earlier that the blood satiated his thirst, but it wasn't particularly enjoyable. On the other hand, I quite enjoyed the blood, finding it more rich and fulfilling. It had a completely different taste to land animal's blood. Instead of being earthy and meaty, it was potent and fishy, but with an intoxicating fragrance. It reminded me of Edward with having an intoxicating scent.

"What can I say? I'm a weird child?" I joked back, happy that Edward's protective mood had now passed.

"That, Bella, you most definitely are."

_  
A/N: So what did you think of this chapter? Have you got any more suggestions for what else you want to happen on Isle Esme or for when Bella and Edward return back home? Thank you for all your support so far!_

_Katie x_

_P.S PLEASE REVIEW!!!_


	18. Chapter 18: Games

Chapter 18: Games

_A/N: I'm so so so so sorry for not updating sooner, and I know there are no legitimate excuses. But believe me on this – I'm so busy that I hardly have anytime for myself anymore. Please cheer me up by reviewing and telling me what you think! If you don't like what I'm writing, then tell me so I can make it better. Without reviews, I don't know how to improve the story :/  
Katie x_

_P.S I also wrote a cute one-shot for Halloween called "Pumpkin!". Why not check it out? x_

After a few long days on the island, we were both really starting to get settled in. Even though the island immediately felt like home when we returned, it was nice to settle into some routines and experience a life outside of a cold, rainy state. We had two days left, but I can just tell that they will slip away, without us even noticing.

"What would you like to do today honey?" Edward asked whilst tracing patterns of love hearts on my back as I was wrapped around his waist on one of the many huge beds.

"Just relax and be with you. That's more than I could ever ask for." Edwards hold on me got tighter as he whispered his love to me in my ear. His dreamy breath crept lusciously over my smooth skin, and it sent revitalizing tingles across my skin like a bolt of electricity. Pulling myself form my reverie, I looked across to the discarded suitcases which had barely been open. Swim suits surrounded them, practically being ripped off before I had hardly put them on. They were beautiful garments, adding to the fire behind Edward's eyes. Therefore, as you can guess, they didn't last long once they were placed on my body.

As I looked over to the cases, I noticed that the board games that Alice had packed were sticking out of one of the cases. A cheeky impulsive thought crossed my mind, and I sat up in bed, turning to look at Edward who had a confused expression on his face.

"What have you got in mind?" He asked, bemused by my cheeky grin.

"That Twister board over there is calling out to us." I chuckled, and instantly, he saw what I had found so amusing. Playing Twister with Edward (half naked, I might add) would of course be an amazing way to have fun on our couples retreat.

"It is indeed." Edward replied with an even bigger grin than what I had accomplished.

***

"Left hand – Green" I commented to Edward after another spin of the board. It was so unbelievingly fun and mischievous that the hours just passed by without a second thought. Once Edward had moved his hand into position, it meant that we were even more ravelled together, making it hard to think coherently. Edward, half naked, twisted around you is most certainly very distracting. This was always Edward's tactic of winning games whenever we played them. He would do something to dazzle or charm me, and before I knew it, Edward had beaten me. He was so competitive that I couldn't imagine how the other Cullen's could bare to live with him before he had a lover.

"Always so tempting, Mrs Cullen," Edward playfully smirked at me, holding his body even closer to mine, "but we all know that I will win." He laughed. Our bodies were literally pressed together as he continued to dazzle me further. His loosely fitting black board shorts looked stunning against his radiant, yet pale skin. I'm sure he would say the same about my tight, navy blue bikini, but I had to have my own tactics too. Two could play at the dazzling game.

Just then, both at the same time, the smell of a human filled our lungs. The cleaning crew were coming, and fast. I had already registered that they were near the front door.

"What should we do?" I asked hysterically.

"Do you think you're able to control your thirst around them? You haven't hunted properly in a week." Edward questioned. I was pretty sure that I could control my thirst. Even though I hadn't hunted in a while, all the practicing I had done in the past few months must count for something.

"Yes I can." I said confidently and also feeling Edward relax slightly at my words. If anything went bad on the island, the Cullen's would probably never be able to come back. Esme would be so devastated at us even though she wouldn't admit it. I didn't want to be responsible for anything going terribly wrong, so I sucked in a last human breath and waited for the slight knock on the door. I wondered what Edward had in mind though if he wanted Kaure and her crew to come in.

"Let them see us in this... compromising position, let they will be sure to leave and not bother us." Edward chuckled.

"Very clever, but you haven't got a miniscule bikini on. At least you have some coverage." I countered. Even if I would never see this people again, I still didn't want to be caught wearing practically nothing. My cheeks would never appear rosy, but Edward could always tell when I was feeling vulnerable to say the least.

"I don't really think that one of your bikinis would suit me or fit very well. Otherwise I would join you. Don't feel self conscious." Edward added in seriously at the end, making me feel much better that he would be right by my side, boosting my confidence up by miles. It's true – I really didn't think that Edward would suit a bikini, even though I would love to see him in one. That would be a fine sight.

A frail hand knocked reluctantly on the hard wooden door, and Edward shouted for them to come straight in. Edward tried his best to distract me, but my stomach was still full of delicate butterflies. Kaure and her crew eventually made their way through the front door, and turned the corner to face the living room where myself and Edward were located. I couldn't bear to look her in the eyes, so I looked to Edward to read his facial expressions. I heard Kaure suck in an almighty breath at our activities. I heard her quickly mumble an apology and scuttle out of the room.

"Wow that was embarrassing." I mumbled. Edward, obviously feeling my anxiety, cupped my face in his hands, bringing my lips to his. His lips were as smooth and as delicate as ever, reassuring my embarrassed mind even more that everything was fine.

"Don't worry Bella, they won't disturb us again. What do you fancy doing on your last couple of days?" I've not really thought about what activities we could do, just as long as we were together. We would never be apart ever again, and that was just the way that I liked it.

"I'm not sure. Just being with you is more than enough." I smiled against his cheek. We were still tight together, yet I still felt the urge to get even closer.

"You know that's all I want too. But it would be pretty monotonous to others if we just told them we spent our own holiday in bed. Much to my dismay." Edward grinned. I suppose he had a point. What's the point in coming all the way to Isle Esme just to spend it in a bed? Of course we don't believe that we would be wasting our time, but others might just see us as boring. I didn't particularly care what others thought of us, but Emmett's jokes did get pretty annoying after a while. My newborn strength has begun to fade, so I don't know whether I could beat him at an arm wrestling match to quieten him down.

"I don't think I can handle anymore innuendos from Emmett." I pondered, trying to muster up some ideas of what to do.

"Me neither. But first things first, I think the bed needs warming." Edward admitted cheekily, raising one eyebrow to emphasis the point. I love it when he acts all playful. It's nice to see how carefree and relaxed he is now that I've been changed. _Everything_ seemed so carefree.

"I don't think it's ever gotten chilly the whole time we've been here." I laughed, forgetting the game and pulling him in the direction of the bedroom. Who cares whether we did nothing except occupy the bedroom. That was just the way we both like it.

***

"Fancy a trip to Rio tonight when the sun has gone down?" Edward pondered whilst we basked in the sun on the white, sandy beach. A trip into Rio would be lovely. Of course, Edward had thought one step ahead and quickly realised that we could not go in the day time. It would probably be more romantic when the night life really kicked in anyway. We were leaving tomorrow, and so tonight would be the perfect ending to a perfect holiday.

The sun finally set in the vast overhead sky, and the glistening aqua coloured water turned a mystical, midnight blue. Even though there was little light, the whole island still sparkled in its natural beauty.

"Do you want to go inside and get ready, love? There's a special dress I brought in advance. I hope you like it. It's in the box at the bottom of your case." I smiled gratefully at Edward and hopped up from the sand, brushing away devilish pieces latching on my skin. Edward stroked my bare leg up and down, appreciating the way my body glowed in the small blue bikini and dimming light.

"Love you." I whispered down at him, and he just smiled in response.

"Love you too." He admitted in between placing soft kisses where his hands stroked my skin.

I walked inside and round the corner to where our bedroom was, and found the suitcases which had been dumped by the en-suite door. We hadn't really worn anything from them except for swimming suits and the odd pieces of lingerie and underwear that was ripped off almost instantaneously. I rummaged through the garments in the case until I came across the box that Edward had mentioned at the bottom. I pulled it out, terrified to see the word 'Gucci' printed on the box. Did I dare to open it? Knowing Edward, it would have probably been the most expensive dress in the store. I slowly pried the lid off and removed the cloth covering its contents. What it revealed underneath was something so beautiful, that I was sure Edward had been planning to buy me for ages. The short, colourful print dress was perfect for a night out in Rio, not to mention totally extravagant. I was blown away by Edward's caring thoughts and generous actions. He knew that I did not want or need designer clothes, but he had thought deeply about it and picked one key piece that he knew I would love no matter where it came from. The dress meant more than just looking good and the creator that it came from – it showed how much thought we both put into our relationship that makes it so unique. I must have been sitting on the floor for a while because Edward gently knocked on the door to see if I was okay. Re-gathering my thoughts, I made my way into the bathroom to tie my hair up in a neat bum on the top of my head and apply a small coat of lipstick and a dab of blusher. I really didn't need much make up on as my skin was so pale and smooth that it didn't take to it well. Walking out of the bathroom, I had noticed that Edward had moved the dress onto the bed and placed a pair of simple black shoes alongside it. I picked up the small piece of crisp paper that rested upon the box, and opened it up.

'_I won't be able to keep my eyes off you tonight.  
Love you with all my heart,  
Edward  
xxx'_

_A/N: So what did you think? Still really sorry for not updating quickly enough. By the way – the dress link is posted on my profile. The link leads to the Gucci Spring 2010 collection, and Bella's dress is number 23 :) Hope you like it!  
Please please please review!  
Katie x_


	19. Chapter 19: Home Sweet Home

Chapter 19: Home Sweet Home

_A/N: Thank you for all your support so far! Sorry I haven't been updating very quickly, but my exams are over now so you have my full attention! If you guys want anything to happen in Midnight, then please feel free to PM me or review, because my ideas are starting to wane. I have an idea for the last chapter (kinda :S), but it's incredibly fluffy. Please tell me your ideas! Anyways, on with the chapter….._

Our trip into Rio had been the perfect ending to the perfect holiday. I could also tell that Edward enjoyed it immensely, and it is one of the most memorable experiences of my life. Watching Edward's face light up as he watched me joining in with all the carnival dancing is something I will never forget. It was one of the rare times where it felt like everything that had happened had a purpose, as everything felt so _right_. We truly felt like our love was everlasting, not that we doubted it in the first place. The way our skin seemed to glow in the magical lighting made the memories I had of our last night on the island seem to sparkle with glory. Nothing could compare to the way that we enjoyed ourselves in Rio. We seemed to fit in with the roaring crowds, and for once in my existence, I felt normal.

"Edward I don't want to go back to school." I sighed whilst curled up to his side on the huge first class seats on the plane journey home. The holiday had been a magical retreat, but we both severely depressed now that it was over. Of course, Carlisle and Esme would try to get us to both go back to school, but we were planning to fight for us to be seen as a married couple. Perhaps we could at least go to college together and act more of our age. I suppose it would take Edward being in a coffin to act his age, but as realistically as we could get without destroying the Cullen façade. We were flying back to Alaska at night, and the whole cabin was plunged into an eerie silence. Our little bubble we had surrounding us kept us protected from the evils outside, which included feisty air crew and misguided females who thought that they had a shot with Edward. The evils in our world were much different to the evils of a human. The only thing we feared were the Volturi and we hardly feared them as we knew we would be together where ever our souls were.

"Me too. We should sit down and talk with Carlisle. I don't think were ready to be dropped into the human world just yet." Edward replied slowly, his mind obviously working overtime thinking of all the ways that we could escape the rigorous life we were going back to. It's not that I'm ungrateful for the incredible family I have, but since marrying Edward, my priorities have shifted, making my aims in life much different. Surely Carlisle could see that. I believe that we just need time to settle in our new lives. The change wasn't just about me becoming a vampire; it was about us changing into our new lives together.

"We've tried and it just ends up with us disobeying Carlisle's orders and you being sent away. It's not working, and we need to fix it together and as a couple." I felt Edward nod and we re-entered the peaceful state we were in before we tried to figure things out. The rest of the plane journey was pleasant, but I couldn't help notice that we were both incredibly tense with what we needed to discuss at home. As we left the airport, we walked onto the car park and saw the welcoming sight of our Volvo. It felt good to the call the car _ours_; I was finally accepting how we were now equals with everything, including money. My face lit up, and I knew that Edward was also relieved to see his baby. If the car was actually a person, I would almost certainly be turning green by now. Edward almost ran to his car before I had to pull him back and remind him who his wife was. A fiery kiss was a sure way of attracting his attention once more.

"Sometimes I think you love that car more than me." I giggled against his cheek. He pulled on a face of innocence and replied in a bewildered tone.

"Well the car doesn't get mad at me when I don't let it have the biggest Elk or when it's favourite TV show comes on and it makes me watch it. Velma is amazing." Edward chuckled. It's true what he says. When were cuddled up on the sofa and my favourite show comes on, I make him watch it with me, not that he appears to mind anyway. Stop. Did he just call his car Velma?

"Remind me to have Carlisle check over my ears." I told him, he looked as confused as ever because he stopping fluttering kisses up my neck and looked me in the face.

"Why's that? Is there something wrong baby?"

" No, I just thought that I heard you call the car Velma that's all." He laughed, and it was at that point that I realised he was deadly serious. His face straightened out and I looked questioningly at him. His mouth tilted to the side slightly, then all of a sudden he just burst out in fits of laughter. I shook my head in disbelief, and he finally calmed down, but he still had a huge smile plastered across his beautiful, alabaster face. I decided not to push it any further in case I got too scared of this new Edward.

The journey home was uneventful and flew by in the blink of an eye. Why is it that when there's something we're both dreading, time seems to pick itself up and run faster just to annoy us. Edward turned the engine off and sat still in his seat. Nobody moved.

"Edward."

"Bella?"

"I think we need to talk before we go anywhere." I stated, we both knew that we needed to review everything that was going on in our lives, and now was the perfect time seen as though we were about to discuss it with Carlisle. We needed to sort out what we wanted to do before we involved anybody else.

"What do you want out of live, Bella?" Edward asked solemnly. He had a look on his face that read like he didn't want to hear the outcome of the answer. He looked as if he knew what was coming; my disapproval of our new life. If only he knew how essential he was for me to survive. I thought that we had overcome our hurdles in life and now it was time for us to relax. Reliving some of the worst moments of my human life was not something that I wanted to do. Being seduced into walking to my death in the ballet studio was not something that I was proud of, and being mentally forced into jumping off a cliff, plus fighting an army of blood thirsty vampires wasn't either. But, without those experiences in my past, I wouldn't be as close to Edward as I am know, and my life wouldn't be worth living if I didn't have Edward by my side. It would be like taking oxygen away from a mortal; it wasn't possible to live.

"I want to be by your side forever." I replied with as much passion as I had. I knew that Edward felt the same, but I had an inkling that he meant other things such as taking up hobbies our owning our own home.

"Words cannot express how happy I am to hear that, and I do too Bella. But I mean more of what you want us to do in all the time that we have." He reasoned. I could understand where he was coming from. With all the time in the world, you have to milk it for all its worth and live life to the full – otherwise, what's the point in being immortal?

"I figured that we would probably go back to school a lot and spend much of our time with our family. I guess that when the time comes to do something different, then we will leap at the opportunity." I answered as truthfully as I could. Edward nodded and looked straight ahead for a few seconds, obviously thinking deeply about what we should do.

"What do you want to do know that we both don't want to go back to school?" Edward asked. He had been through high school hundreds of time before I came into his life, and I can imagine that he was more opposed to going back than I could ever be. I had only been once in my human life, and completed only a few weeks in my early vampire life. I could only imagine how it must feel to go through the stages of school hundreds of times over.

"I think we should finish up the year at school, and then travel a bit. I would love to see the world." Edward smiled with satisfaction. I think that would have been his ideal answer too.

"I'm sure _you_ can read _my_ mind sometimes." Edward chuckled, and he exited the car and walked around to open my door for me; always the gentleman.

Edward held me close to his side as we walked more slower than usual to the front door of the huge Cullen mansion. As the large wooden door creaked open, the main living space was unveiled, revealing a very bored looking Jasper and Alice watching cartoons in front of the TV and a more bored Esme reading some cook books in the kitchen. As soon as we came through the front door, Carlisle, Esme, Jasper and Alice came bouncing towards us, squealing with joy that we were home. Well, only Alice and Esme were squealing.

Edward and Carlisle were talking between them, and I only caught snippets such as 'Glad you both had a lovely break' because of Alice chirping all of her shopping plans in my ears. I finally had the guts to shush Alice so that I could get a word in edgeways.

"But, but I've got something to tell you!" Alice moaned, unaware that I had had enough of her rambling.

"Alice, no. Me and Edward need to do something first, sorry." I replied solemnly. I hated to be cruel to Alice as I know how excited she gets, but there are more important things at hand such as sorting our lives out.

"Fine, but when the time comes, don't say that I didn't warn you!" Alice huffed. She crossed her arms over her chest and her facial features dropped to suit her mood.

"Umm, Carlisle?" I asked quietly. I really lacked confidence when it came to dealing with matters that we would rather not. Edward pulled me into his side for reassurance and to help me out if I chickened out and forgot about everything that I wanted to get off my chest.

"Yes Bella?" Carlisle replied in his fatherly voice. He was so loving yet affirmative at the same time, that I was seriously proud to call him my father, even if he wasn't my biological one. I would always see him as my father – Charlie was always no more than my guardian.

"Can we talk with you?" I asked, and Edward nodded his head at my side. It was obvious that they were having their silent conversations, and it was bugging the hell out of me.

"Of course, Bella. I know we need to discuss a few things. Follow me." Carlisle stated. Edward looked down lovingly at me and leant his head down so that the air from his mouth was tickling my ear lobe.

"It will be okay baby."

And at that point, I fully believed in him.

_A/N: Hope you liked it, sorry it was a little short, but I tried to get it out on Christmas Day for you :) Hope everyone has a lovely Christmas, and please review! It can be my pressie :D  
I'll try to update soon!  
Katie x_

_P.S PLEASE REVIEW!!!_


	20. Chapter 20: Discussions and Intrusion

Chapter 20: Discussions and Intrusion

_A/N: I hope that everybody had a lovely Christmas and that Santa got you everything you asked for! Now, I really need reviews to give me fresh ideas and an insight into what you like/dislike. If you don't review, then I don't know how to improve my work :) Thank you for all your support so far!  
Katie x_

We followed Carlisle up the grand oak staircase, one step at a time. Edward held me the whole way as he knew how much I was dreading the discussion we were about to have. I felt like we were disrespecting Carlisle whilst trying to find our real selves. He had done so much for us, and by separating ourselves from everyone was only causing tension in the family. We all loved each other dearly, and we hardly ever broke away, even just for a few weeks at a time.

Before I knew it, we were both sitting in Carlisle's office on the sofa whilst Carlisle sat at his large, royal desk. The time had passed so quickly since we had stepped in the house, that it was so shocking when we finally realised it was the moment to get our opinions across.

"So Bella, Edward; what was it that you wanted to talk about?" Carlisle asked in a reasoned, professional tone. I suppose he spoke like this on a daily basis at the hospital, so it's now just second nature to him. After me pausing and stuttering for about a minute, Edward finally stepped in to help me out.

"We feel that we need to... find who we both are before we continually go out in public to school. Were barely married, and we haven't had chance to enjoy ourselves yet." Edward stated as politely as possible. The look on Carlisle's face immediately relaxed and a sense of realisation slowly seeped into his features. He nodded his head slightly and spun in his chair to face us at a better angle. I noted that these were all human habits that had been accumulated over hundreds of years. Come t think of it, all of the Cullen's were continually doing these small, insignificant movements which made them appear more genuine and approachable. Me still being a new born meant that I could stand still for hours on end and not even realise how quick the time had flew. I was perfectly content with standing so still, and silly little movements seemed so pointless. But now I guess that these were what made the Cullen family blend in better.

"I understand completely. You two have both been through so much in the past years when Bella was human, that it now seems so unfair for me to drop you back out into the real world." Carlisle spoke softly. He was everything that you could ask for in a father, that it made me feel ashamed that I was so nervous to speak with him in the first place. Speaking to Carlisle should be the one thing, second to Edward's company, that should calm me down. Carlisle could iron out any problems that you have, and even make you feel better about something.

"We knew that it was necessary for us all to keep up the human facade and go to school, but we don't feel that were ready for that at the moment." I finally spoke up, realising I was immature and naive to think that speaking to Carlisle was in anyway scary.

"I understand, and I see that now. It was wrong to expect you to go to school. You're both mature, married adults and you can make your own decisions. I only hope that you don't feel undermined by me." Carlisle almost muttered. He now looked so sad compared to when we had first come home, that I felt quite guilty for having this discussion with him. I would go to school everyday for the rest of eternity if it didn't make Carlisle feel so sad. I got up from Edward's warm and cosy lap to walk around the side of Carlisle's desk and embrace him in a tight, fatherly hug. He deserved to know that anything he did was for the good of the family, and that we all appreciate it. After pulling away, Carlisle spoke again:

"Thank you Bella, that means a lot to me." I smiled, and made my way back over to Edward where he held out his arms for me to come and retake my place in his lap. I had the best seat in the world.

"So would it be okay if me and Bella took as long as we needed out of school? Obviously we should finish this semester up to that the repercussions don't affect you." Edward reasoned responsibly. We both knew that we would have to wait to leave school until the Christmas holidays began, but at least we would be free thereafter.

"Of course, feel free to do what you like once you've both completed the term. I'll ask Esme kindly if you can borrow the island again soon. You know how protective she gets over that island." Carlisle chuckled, and I instantly saw the usual happiness return to his features. We both smiled, expressed our gratitude and exited the heavy, large wooden door into the spacious hallway. We breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at each other. Edward pulled me into a loving hug and kissed my forehead. At that moment, I knew that everything would be great from now on. Edward always reassured me when I needed him too. Like with my human life and our wedding. Like when he changed me and promised me it would be worth the pain. Like when he says repeatedly: 'I love you'. That meant everything to me.

***

"Alice why are you so chirpy all of a sudden? Well, not that you usually aren't..." I asked suspiciously. It was as if something was happening and she wasn't telling me what. She had an evil little look on her face, and I knew something was up.

"I'm not telling you!" Alice teased and bobbed out her tongue. Jasper laughed to the side of her and shook his head as if to say that whatever was happening was nothing to do with him.

"Fine then Alice! But I won't go shopping with you for a year if you don't tell me!" I knew that she wouldn't be able to stay silent for long if shopping was out of the question. She stood still, which was a rarity for Alice, and her eyes glazed over indicating that she was having one of her visions. As soon as she was under, she came back to life and had a bigger grin than a child in a candy store.

"I've seen it! You will give into me eventually, so that blackmailing thing you have going on there, Bella, is not working!" Arguing with Alice is pointless so I just let out a dramatic sigh and headed up stairs to see what Edward was doing.

I climbed the mammoth staircase eagerly for the second time today as I heard beautiful melodies coming from our bedroom on the second floor of the huge Cullen mansion. Edward's piano skills were beautiful and could immediately relax me the second the first note was played. I reached the hallway to our suite and Edward elegantly drifted into the lullaby that he composed for me when we first met. The enchanting notes filled the whole second floor and encased it in a loving hold. Nobody could resist the beauty of my lullaby.

I reached the door and place my ivory hand on the handle. I paused for a second so as to let the music and Edward fill all my senses. I smiled then gently opened the door to see Edward playing near the back of the room. He looked up as I entered and smiled, just as widely as I was. In a flash I was at Edward's side on the piano bench, watching his lithe fingers dance effortlessly over the keys. The song gradually, yet reluctantly, drew to a close. I closed the distance between Edward and I on the bench so that our skin was touching. It seemed as though a spark of electricity shot between us. That was the effect that Edward had on me.

"That was beautiful Edward." I whispered, and I felt his warm lips start to kiss the side of my head lovingly.

"True, but not as beautiful as the inspiration for it." We both giggled, and Edward arm wrapped around my waist. I cuddled up to his side and let my thoughts wonder. What would our lives be like now that we were no longer confined to the inside of school all day? What would we do?

"Edward, could you teach me how to play a little." I pondered. His smile got even wider, which I thought was impossible, and it looked as if someone had given him the best present of his life.

"Bella I would love to. I've never thought that you would be interested in playing, but I've always wanted to show you a little." Edward commented, still astounded by my request. I could just imagine us in a hundred years time sitting together, wherever we may be in the world, and playing together on the piano. It symbolises us both as equals. Without one playing, the other wouldn't sound as good. In a duet you depended on each other immensely to create a harmonically perfect balance.

I sat up straight in preparation for my impending lesson, and Edward soon followed next to me.

"Right, what songs would you like to learn?" Edward asked seriously. I honestly didn't know any names of songs; I only recognised them when Edward played.

"Erm I think we should start with the basics. You know how uncoordinated I am." I grimaced, remembering all the times that I had fallen and injured myself and others when I was human. It hadn't gotten much better now that I was immortal. On the other hand, Edward was always there to wrap his stone arms around me whenever I needed him too. And right now was one of those moments, but I did really want to learn a few things first.

"Don't let Emmet know that you've been tripping a lot lately. I wouldn't put it past him to trip you over in purpose." Edward chuckled, and continued to look at some music books which were situated on the stand of the piano.

"Hmmm, so what pieces do you suggest we begin with?"

***

After four full and hard hours, I had finally mastered playing my lullaby. I protested at first to learning that piece. The only person I ever wanted to play my lullaby was Edward, but he insisted on teaching it me, and I just couldn't refuse those puppy dog eyes.

I twisted my head so that I could seductively kiss Edward on his neck, letting him know the intentions. He caught on quickly and lifted me up so that I could straddle his waist. Our kisses became more passionate as he began to unbutton my tight shirt that I was currently wearing. Well I had a feeling that I wouldn't be wearing it for long. Before we went too far, Edward picked me up again and took me over to our huge king sized bed across from the piano. I pulled the band out of my hair, freeing it and letting it cascade down my face and back. I knew Edward like it better when my hair was wild. I unbuttoned his shirt slowly, memorizing ever perfect contour of his chest, and Edward did the same. We were so wrapped up in each other, that another world war could be happening right outside of our door and we wouldn't have a clue. Before I knew it, Edward's belt was unbuckled and his trousers were at his ankles. Just the way I liked it. His extravagantly sweet scent took over my mind and his delicate, yet electric touches would not allow me to concentrate on anything but him. My head felt dizzy as Edward being everywhere meant that I was completely wrapped up in him.

"BELLA! EDWARD!" I looked up, startled at the shouting, to find Charlie standing shocked in the doorway...

_A/N: Oooh! Sorry for the cliffy, but I couldn't help myself :D Aren't you guys lucky! 2 updates in 2 days! Please review, I only had 3 for my last chapter, and I was kind enough to update on Christmas Day :)_

_Katie x_


	21. Chapter 21: Annoyed

Chapter 21: Annoyed

_A/N: I'm really pleased with the response from the last chapter! I'm not too sure how many chapters are left, but I will try to make it a suitable length. Hopefully about 30 chapters in all, but it just depends on what ideal ideas come to mind. Hope you like this chapter and please press that little green button afterwards! It really makes my day when people tell me what they think of my work, even if they don't like it. If I know that you dislike Midnight, then I can improve the next chapter to help you out. So pretty please review – with a cherry on top!  
Hope everyone has had a lovely break and happy New Year for when it comes!  
Happy reading,  
Katie x_

_P.S Going back and reading the past chapters, I have noticed quite a few errors in my work. I'm really sorry that I haven't checked them thoroughly enough, and if anybody would like to BETA my work, then please feel free to contact me through reviewing or PMing. Thank you._

_Previously –__  
Before I knew it, Edward's belt was unbuckled and his trousers were at his ankles. Just the way I liked it. His extravagantly sweet scent took over my mind and his delicate, yet electric touches would not allow me to concentrate on anything but him. My head felt dizzy as Edward being everywhere meant that I was completely wrapped up in him._

"_BELLA! EDWARD!" I looked up, startled at the shouting, to find Charlie standing shocked in the doorway..._

_***_

Myself and Edward were completely startled. How the heck did Charlie just barge into our room in Alaska? He was supposed to be in Forks, Washington! Almost instantly, Edward grabbed the large gold comforter and wrapped me in it, covering up my nudity. I made a mental note to thank him for his selflessness later on. Only Edward would think about covering me up before himself. After precisely three long seconds of Charlie standing in the doorway, he finally recovered and turned in his heels and scurried down the hallway. Poor Charlie. I don't know who was more embarrassed. Edward let out a long breath which I didn't know he was holding. He looked ashamed. Upset even. I stroked his cheek, and as he lifted his eyes to study my face, I saw how guilty he looked.

"What's up baby?" I asked, unsure of his new strange mood. Sure when had just been caught by my father, but I don't think I've ever seen Edward look as guilty.

"I'm so sorry Bella. You're just so intoxicating that I completely shut myself off from the outside world. I should have heard or smelt Charlie coming but I was so selfish to wrap myself up in you." I cut him off at that point by locking my lips with his, showing to him that he didn't do anything wrong. It's not like we were expecting a visit from him anyway. He soon relaxed and deepened the kiss, but not so much that we wouldn't be able to stop again. We sat up and I ditched the gold wrap, walking to our extensive closet and pulling on a large navy hoody, leggings and so of my all time favourite converse. I only wear them when Alice isn't in close proximity, but since I'm raging at her for not telling me about Charlie, I'll punish her eyes by wearing my 'comfortable' clothes. That's probably why she was so chirpy and guilty faced this morning. There would be hell to pay when Charlie left.

That's when I reminded myself that Charlie was here. My father. I didn't know how it would affect be by him being here. I had just about come to terms that I wouldn't see him again. I thought that it would be easier that way. You know what they say – 'Out of sight, out of mind'. I froze, mid brushing my hair and looked at myself clearly in the huge crystal mirror in our bathroom. Could I cope with seeing Charlie again, or could I let him back into my life? I dropped to my knees and pushing myself up against the cold wall, curling myself into a ball and dropping my head into my hands. I would make sure that Charlie would be safe. If he gets too involved in this world, then the Volturi would soon come and pay a visit. I didn't want Charlie to have to make a crucial decision; doe or get transformed. Becoming closer to Charlie would also mean that the whole family would be implicated badly. Could I do that to them? Could I be so heartless as to punish them for my weak heart? On the other hand, it would be absolutely amazing to spend just a while longer with my father before he notices that I'm not aging and can never get pregnant. Might he wonder in ten years time why Edward and I haven't moved out of the family home and settled down? To spend some normal, 'human' moments with my father would be so welcoming to my now alien world. It would make me feel more human and less isolated from everyday people. Edward was my everything, but to feel a bit more normal, even if just for an hour, it would make me more eternally happy. I sounded so greedy to want more than Edward, but that's just how I felt. Maybe if I just spent a few hours with Charlie now and then, it might not make a significant difference to our secret world. Maybe, just maybe, this might work.

Edward found me crumpled on the bathroom floor, and he came and perched down next to me, wrapping his huge, welcoming arms around my torso, pulling me closer. My tearless sobs ripped through my body, and he didn't say a word, knowing that I needed a minute to just calm down and consolidate myself. I finally looked up, kissed Edward chastely on the lips and stood up. Edward followed suit, and we walked downstairs to what I knew would be one of the toughest moments of my life.

We rounded the corner and found Charlie sat at the kitchen island, Esme making coffee for him. She was always so welcoming and warm, that everybody just gravitated around her. It made sense that Charlie would do the same. I felt bad for Charlie; his eyes were droopy and he held his head towards the floor, indicating that he was upset and put down. I looked at Edward as I was clutching onto his arm to find him concentrated on Charlie's thoughts. I had no idea what must be going through his mind. Disappointment? Loneliness? I stood at the corner of the open plan kitchen where it joined into the main living area. Charlie didn't acknowledge our presence which made me believe that he was even more upset with us. I felt so bad that I could kick myself. Edward tried to distract myself by rubbing his usual soothing circles on the back of my hand, and though I was incredibly grateful, it just wasn't having its usual effect.

"Hi Charlie." I mumbled apologetically from across the room.

Charlie didn't look up from his coffee mug. Instead, he sat incredibly still, tracing the outline of the mug with his baby finger. It was unlike Charlie to be so quiet. Usually he had an opinion, and he would express it, just like he did in my human days. I recall the time when he tried to persuade me to forgive Jacob on one of the many times that he had upset me. Charlie knew that I would never be able to stay mad at him, so Charlie being Charlie, he me over by his outright opinions. The old Charlie was not present. From the few months that we had moved to Alaska, I noticed now that looking at Charlie, he had become dramatically older in his appearance. The vampire in me knew that there were a bigger percentage of grey hairs on his head, and that the corner of his eyes had also sagged a great deal. He was still dressed in his Police Chief uniform, and I struggled to recall a time that I had seen him out of it. I was struggling and came up with nothing.

"Hey Bells." Charlie had finally spoke, and at that moment, he eventually lifted his head in my direct and the sorrow that escaped from his eyes was so intense that I bounded across the room and locked him into a fierce hug. _Not to strong_, I reminded myself.

"I missed you Dad." I sobbed tearlessly, and Charlie inhaled, almost on the brink of tears himself.

"Me too kid, me too." We both pulled away simultaneously, knowing that neither of us likes the emotional stuff when we're together.

"Sorry about earlier, Dad. We didn't mean for you to see that." I mentally blushed, and I realised that Charlie's cheeks had turned beetroot red. I guess I always got my blush from him. He looked surprised that I wasn't as red as him, and when Edward came to my side and pulled me close to him, Charlie learnt just how much I had grown up in the few months away from home.

"Edward." Charlie nodded his head as he acknowledged his presence. Charlie didn't look too happy about talking with Edward after what he had just seen. To Charlie he probably saw that as Edward attacking me and violating his daughter's rights, but realistically, it was probably the other way around. I giggled slightly, but not so much that Charlie would notice; only Edward. My confidence has rocketed since our marriage, and I now felt like an equal to Edward, not my usual 'dippy' self.

We sat chatting animatedly for about an hour on the sofa, but Charlie was more interested in the baseball game that was on the flat screen and the can of beer that was constantly being topped up in his hand by Esme. Also, Edward was more interested in twirling my hair around his fingers and teasing me with his electric touches that would send my mind spiralling. There was no way I could concentrate on anything when Edward was with me.

Of course Alice was nowhere to be seen as she knew I was raging at her. The little pixie was probably at the mall, buying more and more designer clothes, shoes and handbags which were completely unnecessary. Alice is clever, and when she knows that someone is mad at her, she disappears for half the day, then comes back when the rage and pent up frustration has diffused. She will reappear in a few hours, credit card completely topped up, and as chirpier as ever. She should have warned us that Charlie was coming. It wasn't a very good joke when your own father catches you in bed with your lover – even if he is your husband. Very funny Alice. Very funny indeed. Moreover, Emmett was as much to blame. Sending Charlie upstairs to meet his daughter when he knew full well what we were up to called for as much frustration which Alice carried. There hasn't been a day gone by in my new life in which Emmett hasn't expressed innuendos or crude jokes about mine and Edward's sex life. I knew that Edward was completely seething when it came to Emmett; he had had enough of all of the jibing. Something had to be done – and sooner rather than later.

"So Charlie, was there a main reason why you came to visit us?" Edward asked politely, but I knew that Edward was trying to mingle into Charlie's mind. As Edward used to say, he only hears what a person is thinking, so if they are being distracted, by say a baseball game, Edward won't know what's going on. Instantly, Edward face was one of realisation, and he smiled proudly down at me.

"What?" I whispered to Edward. Edward just smiled even wider and shook his head.

"Charlie will tell you soon. Don't panic, love. It's good news." I relaxed at his side. Charlie turned around in his recliner chair and started to ramble on about nonsense which didn't even make sense. You could tell he was nervous. His heartbeat danced erratically and small beads of sweat made their appearance on his forehead. I just smiled, nodded and added the occasional 'Yeah' in between, but I honestly didn't know what he was talking about. I finally decided to intercede to try and get him to go straight to the point.

"So Dad. What was it that you wanted to tell us?" I asked innocently, but inside I was worried about what he was going to say, so I wanted him to say it fast. He didn't realise that a minute to him felt like an hour to me with my vampire senses. It felt strange calling Charlie 'Dad'. I now reserved that name for Carlisle, but I thought that it would be ruse to only call my real father by his first name. This may be one of the last times that I see him, so I wanted it to be a pleasurable experience for him.

"Err, well Bells. I thought I could tell you over dinner tonight. I've booked a table for the three of us at a local restaurant that Esme recommended to me when you two were um... busy." The blood flooded to his cheeks once more. It was strange how quickly I had gotten over the embarrassment, and I was a bit annoyed that Charlie couldn't too. It was hard to just keep sitting still when a human was in the house, especially when you could see the blood flush to their cheeks. _Do not kill your father, Bella,_ I told myself.

Edward groaned at my side, obviously due to the fact that we would be perched at the toilet in the morning, throwing up the contents that we would be forced to eat tonight. I rubbed his hand that was flung around my shoulder, and kept up the happy facade which was becoming incredibly hard to maintain.

"Sure Charlie, that would be... great." Edward politely replied, and Charlie turned around in his chair, propping his feet back up, taking another sip of beer and pressing play on the remote. I don't know what it was about Charlie and baseball, but he just couldn't seem to get enough.

You could say that about me and Edward.

PLEASE PRESS THAT LITTLE GREEN BUTTON!  
IT'S CALLING OUT TO YOU! "PRESS ME PLEASE!" hehehe :D


	22. Chapter 22: Headlines

Chapter 22: Headlines

_A/N: I want to say a huge thank you to all that have supported me by reviewing and adding my story to favourites/alerts. I also want to say thanks to the anonymous reviewers who I can't reply to. Everybody is so kind! Anyway on with the chapter, and I know that a few of you have already guessed what Charlie's news is, but I hope you still enjoy reading it anyway :)  
Please Review! Let's see if we can reach 300 for this chapter!_

_Katie x_

"So Edward, what do you think?" I stepped out of our huge closet, trying to find the perfect outfit for dinner tonight with Charlie. Usually Alice sets out what I should wear, and I'm usually not that interested in what I wear. I know that Edward appreciates anything that I put on, so it doesn't really matter to me. Since I had predicted that Charlie's news was bolder than I originally thought, I wanted to make an effort and dress myself up for the occasion. When I spoke to Esme earlier, she said that the restaurant she had proposed to Charlie was quite upmarket, and I didn't think that Charlie would agree to go to such a place. There, another clue that Charlie's news would be big. Edward still wasn't budging on telling me, stating that it's 'Charlie's news to tell'.

I was currently dressed in a mid thigh, scarlet strapless dress which was incredibly skin tight to the body. Maybe to raunchy for dinner with my dad? It made me look more like I was about to stand on a street corner, rather than have dinner with my husband and father, who was an upstanding, respectable citizen. Edward's eyes roamed over my body, definitely in appreciation, and that immediately confirmed my suspicions; definitely too scant. It might be nice to wear for Edward, but when it came to my father, he hated me wearing anything that showed a bit of flesh. Even if I was fifty, he still wouldn't want me in anything considered 'sexy'. I was stuck. Totally ignorant to all of the cute dresses I would love to wear, and about to consider asking Alice for help. At this rate I was either going as a high class hooker or as a scruffy teen in a hoody and Converse.

"Hmm well I love it Bella." Edward cocked his eyebrow, grinning like a kiddie in a sweet shop. I smirked and turned away, looking back over my shoulder to see that Edward was instantly standing behind me. Not dressing as nice as I would like, would not stop my passionate side from escaping when I was in Edward's company. After all, we both were stuck in teenagers bodies, along with all of the teenager hormones that came with it. He was my husband after all.

"You know Edward; I might need some help getting out of the dress." I playfully teased him, and my dress dropped to the floor in a matter of milliseconds. _That was a record_, I thought. Edward placed loving, angelic kisses down my neck and shoulders, making me shiver with pleasure. Tonight would be a long night. Being forced to eat human food and keep up a tight front in the presence of Charlie was not something I was looking forward to. After long, succulent and heavenly embraces with Edward, we gradually pulled apart, knowing that we couldn't leave Charlie waiting at the restaurant. We were planning on arriving at six o'clock, and it was already ten minutes past five. Time continued ticking on, furiously marching forward to a rigorous beat, leaving any slow coaches behind. I can't ask Alice for help. I just can't.

I searched the closet over and over, fighting a losing battle between the thousands of clothes bags standing in my way of the perfect dress. I gave up and went to sit on the bed, still in my underwear. I was sulking, yet I still knew that it wouldn't do any good. I would only stress Edward out, and I was just upsetting myself even more. This past day had been tough on everyone, in particular Edward for having to soothe me. It wasn't fair for me to be acting like this. After a few minutes, Edward came out looking as smart as I had ever seen him (except on our wedding day). His smart black dinner jacket accentuated his toned, broad shoulders, and the simple buttoned white shirt looked elegant, yet casual enough to have dinner with his father in law. Edward's hair was in its usual sexy, tousled style, but tonight, he had smartened it slightly by sleeking the sights back minutely with a brush. I could never look as good as Edward. He was the epitome of perfection. Clutched in his hand was a dress bag. Edward smirked playfully, cocking his eyebrow in the way which he knew I loved it. I laughed giddily to myself and shook my head in disbelief. Edward always knows how to calm me down.

"Here you are, love. I'm just as good as Alice." Edward chuckled. I ran up to him, gave him a quick peck on the lips and went into the closet to get dressed. Time was still ticking devilishly. I unzipped the bag, and out cascaded a river or blue satin material. The blue was like nothing I had seen before. It was a delicate and elegant mixture of a deep navy, yet still had the brightness of the sparkling blue water on Isle Esme. I knew that that was the reason why Edward chose this dress, along with the fact that blue was his favourite colour on me. The gown was floor length, but didn't have an overly smart feel about it. From the front, the straps looked normal, but once you turned it over, the two delicate straps wove together, creating a beautiful dress. To everyone, I must have looked ecstatic when I slipped the soft material over my head, but to Edward, I knew he would see how proud I was in his choice.

I finished getting ready by adding a golden slide into my hair and picking up a small clutch bag which matched. I didn't have any make up on as my face honestly didn't need it. I looked at myself in the mirror again, proud of the person in the reflection. The woman had a glorious husband, a loving family, and the potential to do anything she wanted with her life. I smiled, realising that I have everything I could ever wish for. I pushed the lack of me not being able to conceive to the back of my mind. I would not let that upset me on such a happy occasion. That is, depending on whatever Charlie's news was, but Edward assured me that it was good. I walked across the tiled bathroom floor, clinking my way because of the strappy heels which were attached to my feet. I didn't want to let Edward down by not rising to the stunning dress he gave me, so I went all out to please him. He deserved that much. I made my way to the door, reaching out my bronze painted nails to turn the handle. Nothing could prepare me for the look on Edward's face when I stepped into the room.

Edward's mouth dropped, barely able to contain the look of pure love and desire on his face. I also noted a slight pained expression as he was looking at the floor when I walked in. This immediately caught my attention, not the hint of lust, because whatever was upsetting Edward would be sorted before we left. I would make sure of that.

"Edward, what's wrong?" I asked, walking quickly towards him where he sat on the huge king sized bed. I stroked my hand on his cheek, drawing him out of his reverie. He smiled wondrously at me wearing the dress that he chose out. Edward placed his arm around the small of my back, pulling me even closer to him which I welcomed tremendously.

"I'd rather not talk about this, but Charlie's planning on asking a pretty awkward question later which I know will accept you." Edward looked down again, stroking my side again. He seemed to be trying to comfort himself, not wanting to talk about it either. I wondered what he could be thinking about as it was obviously upsetting him too. Whatever it was, we would talk about it and carry on with tonight, regardless of what questions my father was planning on asking us.

"Whatever it is Edward, we can talk about it. At least then we can be prepared for tonight." I reasoned with him, and he smiled again at me until his features dropped and I could tell that he was about to tell me.

"Don't let it upset you Bella, but Charlie's planned on asking us when we are going to have children. It's not his major news, but he would like to know more about us together, now that we're married. It was a subject that he would rather not broach on the phone." My insides were churning, even though I knew that that was not possible. Of course Charlie would want to know that. Even if he still didn't feel one hundred percent satisfied that I had married young, he would still want grandchildren, and I just couldn't give that to him. I pulled myself together for the sake of Edward, who looked manically depressed that he had just brought up that subject.

"We'll just tell him that I'm not able to have children." I replied, trying to keep my composure, and not let the subject upset the happy balances of tonight's events. Edward's mood seemed to brighten, and I could tell that he was also trying to put the fact that we would never be able to have children to the back of his mind. Edward nodded, and changed the subject, just as quickly as we had approached it. It was the best way considering how much it upset us.

"That dress looks beautiful on you. I still can't get over how perfect you are." I giggled with appreciation from his compliment, and I lowered my lips onto his as he was still sitting down. Edward soon stood up, and took this as one of the last chances that we could be close before dinner. My lips parted, sucking in a deep breath, filled with Edward's sweet scent, and allowing access for his darting tongue, massing mine in a way which made me feel week at the knees. Our hands were everywhere; mine wrapped up in his hair and around his waist, and Edward's placed sensuously on my bottom and side. I just couldn't get enough of this, and I knew that Edward couldn't either. However, after a few minutes, a slightly ruffled dress, and Edward's smarter hair completely out of the window, we had so pull away in order to make it to the restaurant on time.

We made our way downstairs, to find only Esme and Carlisle in the house. They were snuggled up on the sofa, watching a film which I knew that Esme loved. Even though you could tell that Carlisle didn't want to watch that particular film, he didn't look the slightest bit bored as he was completely wrapped up in Esme. I would never get over how perfect they were for each other, and how utterly devoted they were to each other – even after a hundred years. I could only hope that me and Edward could be like that some day.

"Have a good time you two." Carlisle called over his shoulder, and Esme also turned around, smiling proudly at the both of us.

"You both look beautiful. Who said that Alice is the only one with a fashion sense?" Esme giggled, and I beamed with radiance when I saw how completely happy they both were.

"Thank you Esme, but it was Edward who picked this out for me; he should receive all of the glory."

"Hmmm, well done Edward. You could give Alice a running for her money." Carlisle joked. We said our goodbyes, and headed out to the garage where we would drive my Audi to the posh restaurant where Charlie had made reservations. I would make sure that we would pay for the meal, as I didn't think that Charlie's Chief of Police wage packet could stretch that far. Seen as though myself and Edward would be heaving it back up tonight, it would only be fair that we payed. We arrived at the restaurant, with precisely two minutes to spare, and Edward walked around to my side of the car to help me out. I desperately needed it in these huge heels. It felt like walking on sky scrapers to me, and I almost regretted wearing them in the first place. It was bitterly cold outside as it was nearing Christmas. That reminded me – I still needed to buy Christmas presents. That should keep my mind ticking over for a few days. Buying presents for people who had everything was not my idea of fun.

We walked into the restaurant, and Edward helped me to take my coat off. We were ushered to a private table which Charlie had reserved, and we spotted him sitting nervously in a booth, sweat beads forming on his forehead, looking awkward in his suit. The only time that I have ever seen Charlie wear a suit was at my wedding, and he wasn't very comfortable then. _This must be big news_, I thought to myself. We reached the table, and Charlie looked up, startled at our quietness. It took some getting used to when living in the Cullen household. Charlie looked stunned by both our beauty, and he was a loss for words until his heart beat finally started to calm down.

"Bells, you look beautiful. Edward." Charlie nodded his head, and Edward held out his hand for Charlie to shake. He couldn't question the coolness of his hand tonight as it was so bitter and wintery outside. We took our seats next to each other, and Edward held my hand in reassurance that everything was okay.

"Order what you want you two." Charlie said kindly, passing us both a menu even though I really didn't want to eat. I couldn't really make up an excuse such as 'I'm on a diet' or 'We just ate', because it would have looked rude and uncomfortable in front of Charlie. After a few minutes of pondering over the menu, the waitress came over to take our orders. Of course, Charlie ordered his usual of steak and cobbler, and surprisingly, he ordered a bottle of wine instead of a beer.

"And what would you like?" The waitress asked me. She had on too much make up and her white blouse was buttoned far too low. She made me feels sick by the way she practically drooled over Edward. I practically snarled when she leant over Edward's lap to retrieve my menu. Edward was completely oblivious to any actions that she took in order to seduce him, and just continued to rub circles into my palm under the table.

"Rare steak, with a garden salad." I ordered. I felt like asking for an Elk or a Grizzly, and a Mountain Lion for Edward, but that would have just been hilariously funny in front of all of these week hearted humans.

"Rare Bells? You never have your steak rare." Charlie pondered. I shrugged him off. The rarer the better in my case. Perhaps a little blood in the meat might make it more appealing to me. I saw Edward smiling out of the corner of my eye because of what I ordered, and he too found that it would be more appetizing than anything else. Ordering the same thing, the slutty waitress finally disappeared. Charlie poured myself and Edward a glass of red wine, and I tried to convince myself that it was a glass of blood, even though it smelled vile in comparison.

"Well Bella and Edward, I brought you here tonight to tell you some good news." Charlie started. I snuggled into Edward's side as his arm was wrapped protectively around my shoulders. The waitresses still stared, and I could hear them chatting happily about how handsome he was, and whether I was just his sister.

"You know how well I've been getting on with Sue Clearwater recently, and well I proposed to her last week. She said yes." My whole mood brightened, and I'm sure my face radiated the happiness that was currently coursing through my veins. Charlie deserved someone special, and I knew that Sue could do that for him. They were well matched for each other, and it made me feel all that bit better about leaving Charlie when the right time came. I stood up from the table, shimming myself across Edward's lap to get out. I animatedly wrapped my arms around Charlie, so pleased that he had found someone special.

"Congratulations, Dad. I'm so happy for you both." I said, just as happy as I had stated. Edward also expressed his congratulations and shook his hand again, even though Edward knew what Charlie was about to say. I sat back down in my seat, and the conversation came easy about their plans for the future until our food came out.

The food was dreadful, and the only thing that helped me out was the slightest bit of blood running from the meat, and the tissue that was perched on my lap which I would drop mouthfuls of food into when nobody was watching. Before long, most of my food was in my lap, and so was Edwards. Charlie looked astonished by how quickly we had eaten, but he didn't say anything as he was too wrapped up in his steak. When Charlie finished, and looked happy by what he had just eaten, he asked us about desert, but we politely declined, not wanting to go through the whole tissue routine again. The air around the table immediately tensed up, and I knew that Charlie was about to broach the subject that neither of us wanted to talk about.

"So," Charlie began, looking shy at his glass of wine, "are you two planning on giving me grandchildren soon?" Charlie chuckled nervously, trying to take a light hearted approach to the subject. Even though I knew what was coming, I just couldn't get over how much his words hurt. It was like he had just taken a dagger and stabbed it straight through my chest. Words were choked in my throat, and not one escaped. Edward sensed my hesitation, and stepped in, helping me out with the difficult topic.

"Err, Charlie, we have something to tell you about that." I hid my face into Edward's side, and he immediately accommodated me by wrapping his arm around me even tighter. I didn't want to hear what he was about to say. I just wanted to leave. I was upset, ashamed and embarrassed. I couldn't even give my husband a child. What sort of a wife was I?

"We found out a few weeks ago that Bella isn't able to conceive." Without my minds permission, by body started dry sobbing into Edward's shirt. I really just wanted to leave. Why would be always have to go through this? This was like my own personal hell. Edward regretted saying the words, but he had to, and Charlie looked completely astounded by what was said. He looked down, thinking things through, and chewing his lip, just like I do. If I wasn't mistaken, when I peeked up through my hair, I saw a small tear form in Charlie's eye. It trickled down his cheek, and Charlie was quick to wipe it away, afraid that anybody would see him crying.

_That felt like the right place to leave the chapter. _


	23. Chapter 23: Drying My Eyes

Chapter 23: Drying My Eyes

_A/N: Thank you for everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I will always reply to your reviews, and it upsets me that I can't reply all of the kind hearted anonymous readers. So, I would like to say a huge thank you to you all now, and I really appreciate all of your support. You all leave amazing comments and suggestions, but I would just like to clarify now, that I will not make Bella pregnant in this story. I have nothing against Renesmee, but I just don't feel like Bella and Edward should have a child in "Midnight". I feel like this story should all be about the inner workings of their relationship, and how far they have come since their wedding in Breaking Dawn. I love fluff! But as you can see in the last chapter, I am trying to come up with some more interesting ideas such as mentioning Bella's lack of being able to conceive. I hope that you stick with the story if you don't find it interesting enough. I write how I picture my idealised personas of Bella and Edward, and I'm afraid they have very happy lives. They've had enough drama for one lifetime.  
I'm very sorry about the lack of updates in the past couple of weeks, but I've just had more exams, and I'm afraid I've had to put "Midnight" nearer to the bottom of my priorities.  
How would everybody feel if I created a few outtakes of "Midnight" which would be rated M? Let me know by reviewing! I really want to reach a goal of 500 by the end of this story.  
Hope you enjoy this chapter, and I will apologise in advance for any typos that may occur. I really don't check my work thoroughly enough.  
Katie x  
P.S PLEASE REVIEWS GUYS!_

Dinner did not go on for much longer after the startling revelation that Charlie had witnessed. We didn't mean to upset him, but we felt like it would be best to tell him now that I couldn't have children, rather than him setting his hopes high, only to have them crashing down around him. This way, Charlie would be happier in the long run. Aside from Charlie's grief, admitting we couldn't have children sent myself and Edward into a downward spiral. One step forward and two steps back. More than admitting this to Charlie, I think that we had to tell ourselves this fact again. It _was_ fact, and there were no fairytales involving children when you're a vampire. Sure, we would learn to move on from our small depression, but that didn't help with the outburst of emotions that we were currently going through now. There would be no green eyed baby with bronze hair. No dirty nappies. No getting up in the middle of the night. No baby teeth stashed under the pillow. No first day of school. No fairy tales. It still failed to sink in.

Driving home from the restaurant felt mind numbing and pointless. I sat lifeless in the seat, my face drooped which was conveying my depression. Edward sat like he was set in stone; hands clutched tightly to the steering wheel, face forward putting on a mask to disguise his sadness. I knew that Edward was feeling just as upset about this as I was. There was no hiding that, even his face showed no emotion. We could always tell when either one of us needed support. I just didn't know what to do. I didn't know what we were going to do. The only think I knew was that we had each other.

I let my thoughts wander to our future, and what we were going to fill our time with, seen as though we had so much of it. There were endless possibilities out there, and neither of us knew when or how to take the first step to lead us into the rest of our lives. We were dumbfounded, and overpowered by decisions which lay ahead of us. We needed one of us to make a decision, so that we could move forward together, forgetting all about our woes. We could go to college, set up a business, buy our own house, travel around the world, get jobs or just simply stay at home, basking in each other's company. I didn't know what I wanted to do, but right now, we had to lift ourselves out of this pit; claw our way back to the top until we found the light again. We needed to reach the surface in order to move forward.

I pulled myself from my thoughts and looked over to Edward who was still concentrating so hard on his already perfect driving. It seemed that he was as lost as I was. My dry sobbing had cleared up slightly, but it was a traitor to my conscious mind, betrayed me at every inconvenient chance possible. I extended my pale hand to touch Edward's shoulder with the slightest touch. Almost instantly, he let out the huge breath that he was sub consciously holding in. His whole body seemed to relax under my touch, and I was pleased that I had easily managed to draw him out of his unhealthy reverie. We needed to stay strong, and that meant communicating our feelings. Edward looked into my eyes, which felt like my whole body should erupt into fiery flames. His gaze was so full of love that my mind just went blank with whatever thoughts that had previously occupied it. Sensing my uneasiness, Edward pulled over onto the side of the road, twisting the key in the ignition so that the engine faltered to rumble.

The sky was dark outside, creating an omnipresent atmosphere all around us. The car felt like a small safe haven where we could let our emotions just pour out. After a few seconds of sitting in an uncomfortable silence, Edward gently picked me out of my seat and placed my light body onto his lap. He clutched me tightly to his body, burying his face into the crook of my neck. I breathed in his deep, flavoursome scent. Neither of us knew what to say. Anything that we did say would not compare to the feelings that we were both under, and just come off as trivial.

After a couple of hours of limited movement and conversation, I finally looked up into Edward's eyes from behind my protective curtain of flowing brunette hair. Biting my lip, a human habit I had yet to dislodge, I stroked Edward's cheek with the back of my index finger. He smiled up at me, sensing that we were both feeling better than we were previously.

"Edward we need to do something with our lives. We have forever to live in each other's arms, but we need to make a good use of our time." I commented numbly, immediately regretting what I had said because Edward paused, unsure of what to say. He seemed to be deep in thought for about a minute, before he finally replied, letting me know the direction of his thoughts.

"I feel the same Bella. We need to plan for our future. There are endless opportunities out there for us." I nodded again, acknowledging his response. It was exactly the same thing that I had been thinking.

"What would you like to do Edward?" I asked inquisitively, totally unsure of what Edward intended to do in his life. It didn't make me seem like a very good wife. I didn't even know what my husband wanted to do.

"Bella, I've had over a hundred years of doing what I wanted. It's time for you to lead me into a new light. I'll follow you wherever you want to go, love." Edward replied before he began placing feather light kisses trailing down my neck. It didn't make it any easier for my thoughts to flow.

"I don't know where I want to go, Edward. I feel like we should just go with wherever life takes us, but that would be ignorant of us to ignore the amazing opportunities we have. I need you to guide us both."

"I understand Bella, and I feel the same things as you. You know, I never took the chance to take you to the Antarctica to hunt penguins." We both chuckled at his last comment, immediately feeling the heavy atmosphere lift. Our lives shouldn't be about decision making and contemplative thoughts. We should go with the flow, blissfully enjoying each other's company, and taking the time to be husband and wife; not Edward and Bella.

"Penguins sound divine right now." We both chuckled again, and our melodic laughter chimed around the car, brightening our moods once more.

"But on a serious note, would you like to go travelling?" Edward asked, and I let the thought of travelling with my husband around the world occupy my mind. It sounded amazing. The beautiful sites always had had an instant attraction for me. Edward being with would only intensify my experiences. Finally, someone had put a good idea on the table, and I was more than impressed with the results. I suddenly felt like we had a purpose to live. We could do this. We could actually do this, and it would be life changing.

"That sounds amazing. Thank you Edward." Showing my appreciation, I leant my head down and embraced Edward fully on the lips. He captured my bottom lip in between his, and I pushed all of the passion that I had coursing through my veins into my actions, and Edward responded encouragingly.

"Bella I depend on you so much, just to survive. I don't know what I would do without you." Edward desperately stated in between heated embraces. Ever since I had first met Edward, I knew that my world had changed drastically. Call it love at first sight if you will, but I knew from that very second that I would not be able to live without him. Edward is my everything, and always will be.

"Me too Edward. I feel like I can't even breathe when you're not around."

That night, no more words were spoken.

***

When we arrived home in the early hours of the morning, Esme and Carlisle were already waiting for us at the large dining room table. Edward had called ahead and told Carlisle that we wanted to talk with him. We had decided that we wanted to travel the world before we rejoined our other siblings and started the endless cycle of high school and college with them. We felt like we needed some time to ourselves to fully appreciate what we had in our relationship, and feel totally satisfied that we were happy in ourselves before we put roots down in one place.

As we walked through the front door, Edward took my coat and hung it in the coat room, whilst also dropping his car keys on the kitchen island. The rattling of the keys echoed around the room as everything was deadly silent. I took Edwards hand and walked into the dining room, which was of course, only for show. The only time that we used this room was for when we had our family discussions.

"Hi Mom, Hi Dad." I called meekly as we walked into the room. My eyes searched out the floor as I was feeling totally ashamed that we were going against Carlisle and Esme's wishes. They had given us so much, that it just felt wrong, now that we were in their presence, to 'do our own thing'.

"Bella, Edward." Carlisle nodded. I looked up from behind my wavy hair to see that neither of them looked mad at us. In fact, they were both smiling proudly at us, as if we were doing the right thing. It certainly didn't feel that way. I looked over to Edward who was at my side, and he simply nodded and smiled, signalling to me that everything would be okay. That small gesture immediately relaxed my muscles. Edward knew all of the simple things that would make me feel better. We were like two halves of one person; we completed each other and make each other better people.

"I take it that you two wanted to speak to us." Carlisle started off in a friendly manner. Edward held out a chair, and instead of what I thought would have happened, Edward simply pulled me into his lap, and Esme giggled to herself. I smiled warmly at her, and she winked at me, giving me inner support. Why was everyone in this family so perfect? Edward began to speak, but i put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. My new inner confidence had willed me to speak for myself. I couldn't have Edward doing all of my dirty work. I didn't want him to take all of the slack for both of our actions.

"Yes Carlisle, Edward and myself have decided to finish up this semester at school, join everyone for Christmas, then begin to travel. We feel that we need more time to our selves, but we will be more than happy to rejoin everyone and go back to high school the next time you have to move on because of your age. That gives us one week left of school, and one week for Christmas. I hope you will be supportive of our decision."

"Of course we will support the both of you in anything. We really appreciate that you have thought ahead about finishing the semester and Christmas. It wouldn't have been the same without you pair at Emmett's favourite time of year. You keep us sane with his giddiness." Everybody had to chuckle at Carlisle's comment. Nobody could doubt how excited Emmett got when it came to opening presents. It was like letting a child lose in a sweet shop – basically a recipe for disaster. Edward had told me of the years when Emmett hadn't got what he wanted and he had stormed out hunting or practically begged Rose to get him it. A wining Emmett is not pleasant. After laughing quite uncontrollably with everybody else, I had finally calmed down enough to reply to Carlisle.

"Have you sorted out his Christmas presents this year?" I asked jokily, and Esme all of a sudden looked very worried. I guess I had just reminded her to do something. Carlisle stepped in after Esme's pause, as he was inquisitive in what we intended to do with our free time.

"I'm sure it's all in hand," Carlisle answered regarding Emmett and his presents, "but where do you intend to travel?"

Edward cleared his throat behind me, and I twisted in Edwards lap to see what he was trying to communicate to Carlisle. I saw him give a look as if to say 'I have it under control so don't spoil the surprise.' I decided not to say anything, as I could sense that Edward was already planning things in his mind. He simply just shrugged Carlisle's comment off and said:

"I'll go wherever my beautiful wife wants to."

_Please review my lovely people!!!_


	24. Chapter 24: Finishing Up

Chapter 24: Finishing Up

_A/N: Right, I have a spare few hours here that I'm sneaking on to write you lovely people a chapter. I'm so sorry for the huge wait, I really have no excuses for not updating, but I'm stuck in the middle of exams :(  
Hope you enjoy this chapter and please review, but I know I don't deserve them. Thank you to everyone who's stuck by me._

_Katie x_

The next week was one which I would not want to live through again. And that was just because of Emmett's giddiness for the upcoming festivities; not because of our final hellish week at high school. Word had gotten round that Edward and myself were leaving, and so sluttish girls thought this gave them an excuse to fling themselves at _my_ husband believing that it was their last chance. There was absolute hell to pay when I saw what was going on, and things were just going from bad to worse. I only made it through half the week before I finally broke down in vampire tears alone.

_I was pissed. So angry in fact that I was beginning to take it out on Edward for no apparent reason. Today had been the worst when my emotions had spewed over so much that I actually had to run off, remembering to be careful of my speed in front of the humans, and try to calm myself down. I had gotten so emotional lately, and the slightest wrong doing by anybody would either send me in a spiralling depression all day or would trigger off the anger which boiled below my skin. I guess I'm just really impatient to finally leave here and try to get back a sense of normality in my marriage – not that that could ever happen. _

_Myself and Edward were walking down the school corridor hand in hand, trying to act as normal as possible and blend into the other students. Blending in isn't something we do best but that wasn't aided by the trampiest girl in the school who made her way over to us, clickety heels and false hair extensions in tow. Edwards grip on my hand tightened as he looked to me for help. He had been trying to cope with these bitches all week, but I guess everything was just taking its toll on him now, as with me. _

_As this girl finally made her way over to the front of us, aspects of her were completely overboard, exposing her for the sexually driven maniac she was. She had no right to think that she could even talk to Edward, let alone try and seduce him when his wife was at his side. Her tight cherry red top revealed far too much, not leaving anything, and I mean anything, to the imagination. They're probably fake, I laughed to myself. Lipstick smudged around the edges of her pout, but she probably didn't realise due to the humungous false eye lashes she had plastered wrongly on her eyes. My vampire senses also detected a smudge of lipstick on her front tooth. Pathetic. _

I was now curled up on the end of our devouring king size bed, trying my hardest to banish the painful memories from my mind. I just don't understand how girls can be so bitchy! Edward was now downstairs trying to convince Esme and Carlisle that I was fine, but honestly, I felt far from it. I just really wanted to leave already and spend some quality time with my husband, away from humans who could possibly interfere. I felt my body trying to dispel emotion, but these tearless cries seemed never ending. In a split second, the air shifted and I felt Edward come and lie with me, cocooning me in his arms from behind. He knew that he couldn't do anything except for trying to soothe me when I was feeling rough. We still had the rest of this week left to go, and then Christmas with the family, which should be a nice change.

Hours passed and the sun had gone down over the side of the house, leaving all the light from the candles that Edward had lit, reflecting off the glass walls, creating a serene and romantic atmosphere for us to be situated in. No words were spoken – none needed to be. We communicated everything through the slightest movements and depressive looks. Edward felt just the same as me; he was just trying to be brave and stand up for the both of us.

"Bella, I know we don't want to, but we really should get to school today. Stand up for ourselves and not let anything get in the way of our last week." Edward whispered in my ear. We had lay in the same position for hours, carelessly watching the clock tick by. He was right. Edward was always right, but my stubborn self was once again telling me to fight back. Rebel. I couldn't live like this anymore. I needed to put faith in my husband and do what I vowed to do as a wife; stay beside my husband as equals.

"You're right." I answered softly, turning around on the bed to face his, gazing lovingly into his eyes. It was moments like these that made me realise how lucky I really was. I have everything I could possibly want for. The nagging feeling in the back of my mind reminded me of what I really desired and craved for, but I pushed it back, as always, and put a brave smile upon my face.

"Care to join me in the shower?" Edward cheekily replied, adoringly stroking the side of my face, cupping my check ever so slightly as if it were the most precious thing in the world.

"Do you even need to ask?" I grinned back, taking his hand and leading him to our over sized en-suite, firmly closing the door behind us. Such a small action had improved my mood drastically. Or maybe, it was just Edward in general. Every time I'm near him, I can't help but to be happy. Edward is the only exception.

"Can I drive today?" I asked meekly, standing beside my stunning Audi, in the not so stunning Louboutin heels Alice had forced me into. That girl needs sorting out. True, it might make girls bite their lip more to Edward at school, but surely there were other, more desirable qualities about me rather than my vampire looks.

"Of course, love. " Edward smiled to me, throwing the keys rapidly over the hood of the car. Being human would have made me desperately worried about the condition of the car after I had failed to catch the keys. Never the less, my undeniably amazing vampire senses caught the keys instantly, leaving my precious car safe and unmarked.

The car ride to school lasted for what felt like much shorter than usual, only because of the fact that I didn't want to go. But, I had a new, fresh attitude in which I would hold my head up high and stomp on any bitch who tried to get in the way of my husband and me. If the claws had to come out, then they sure would. Edward sensed my new found confidence, and instead of holding my hand as usual, he wrapped his comforting arm around my waist, securing me to his God-like body. Walking through the parking lot, I glared down anyone who tried to get in my way or looked remotely interested in Edward. Of course, he was doing the same with the boys, but that was a whole other story, basically similar to what I was going through. I knew it was tough on him too.

Sitting in our first lesson, totally engaging in each other rather than the teacher, I was distracted by a girl behind me tapping me on the shoulder. I was immediately surprised that my cold, hard skin did not scare her off. My protective mind immediately went into over drive and I had already wrongly stereotyped her as one of the girls who were trying to be with Edward. They thought they could treat me like dirt but I was having none of it anymore from now on. I snapped my head around, only to see one of the kindest faces I have ever met.

"Hi I'm Iris. I just wanted to say how much I love your shoes." She smiled politely at me. I was beginning to like Iris more and more by the second. My features immediately softened as I warmed to her. Perhaps all girls weren't like the usual stereotype I was casting these days. There was hope.

"Thank you. I'm Bella by the way and this is my hus- erm, partner, Edward." Damn, I muttered to myself, that was too close for comfort. I will be glad when we could get out of this place so we could actually act as husband and wife should do.

"Hi Edward," Iris addressed him respectively, "so where did you get your shoes from Bella?" She looked down lovingly to my feet which were securely bound in cherry red, skyscraper heels, making me nearly as tall as Edward.

"They're just another pair of shoes that my sister made me forcefully wear. I have to agree because there's no stopping that evil woman." We all chuckled at my last comment, lightening the awkward atmosphere immensely.

"You can keep those cherry heels on later my love." Edward softly whispered in my ear, low enough so that Iris could not hear. Internally blushing, I tried to regain my focus and engage in conversation with Iris. We talked for what felt like hours on general things, and it was really nice to have a normal conversation with a normal person outside of my family. I didn't realise until that moment how much I actually missed my old friends from Forks High School. Speaking with Iris gave me a sense of normality which I really wanted to keep up until we left.

"Iris, do you fancy coming back to mine later? It would be great to get to know you better. I will even talk about shoes just for you!" At that exact moment, my phone bleeped in my bag, and I knew that straight away, Alice had something to say about that comment. So what if I wasn't totally addicted to fashion like she was.

"You know what, that would actually be great. My parents are out of town and my older brother is driving me sane at home." She replied reluctantly, not knowing how to take my offer. It was a bit sudden but why ever not, I thought. I felt Edward beaming at the side of me, proud of what I had just accomplished. It wasn't much but it felt like a mile stone to me.

Later that day, I was sitting cross legged on the floor in front of the many shoe racks in the middle of my huge walk in wardrobe, next to Iris. She was a little stunned at first, getting into my Audi and driving to the massive house, but Esme immediately made her feel at home. I was so pleased when she accepted to come over. I finally felt that maybe there was hope for me to meet new people and lead a normal life.

Iris's eyes immediately brightened up when she saw a glossy pair of coral coloured Miu Miu heels. They were sitting there, unloved and unworn on one of my many shoe racks, just dying to be worn. It really was a shame. I made it my aim to make Iris leave with them, grateful for everything she had helped me accomplish and realise today. We continued talking and laughing for most of the night. I felt bad about leaving Edward to do his own thing for a while, but he knew how much this meant to me. I did however receive a few very nasty text messages from Alice, describing what she would do to me if I gave away the shoes. After seeing that I still planned on doing so, she then described what she described on doing to Edward's piano if I did. _What the hell_, I thought. I will just take her shopping on my card and make her shoe happy once again.

I had made a friend. I had actually made a friend.

Later that night, Iris left with a very lovely pair of shoes, and I had been left with a reminder of who I was.

_I hope you liked it! _

_x_


	25. Chapter 25: Altercations

Chapter 25: Altercations

_A/N: Aren't you lovely people lucky? Two updates quickly! I felt as though you all needed a present for an apology to how late my last update was, so here we go..._

_Pretty please REVIEW with a cherry on top!_

_Katie x_

After my new found spurt of confidence, the rest of the week passed fairly rapidly. I learnt to trust myself and of course Edward more when dealing with the jealous girls at school. I finally realised that I had everything they desired and more; I had nothing to worry about. Edward deeply loved me, and that was the way it was going to stay for a very long time – all of eternity to be precise.

A lazy Friday afternoon feeling loomed in the air, and I was desperate to go Christmas shopping for Edward. I wanted to get him something truly special that he could treasure forever but I had absolutely no clue whatsoever. I also needed to get the rest of the family something festive, but that was a lot easier than trying to find my husband something. Did I forget to mention that he already has everything anybody could possibly dream of? I guess Christmas was more about the sentiment behind whatever gift you buy someone, but it still didn't stop me from wanting to get him something _memorable_. The other Cullen's were easy to buy for; cook books for Esme, computer games for Jasper and Emmett, shoes for Rose and Alice and something rare for Carlisle. Why couldn't Edward be that easy? Knowing him, he is bound to get me something spectacular, and I don't know how he thinks that I can compete with that.

"Oh Alice?" I called sarcastically into the air. Within a split second, she was at the door with a huge smile spread cheekily across her face. She knew how rare these occasions were, and wanted to take full advantage of that fact. It wasn't like me to go shopping. Ever. When I was human, I would have rather someone burn me alive then shop. Why would anybody want to walk around for ages in a hot and crowded mall, only to waste money and get disappointed every time? I didn't see the sense in it myself.

"Yes dear sister, do you actually need my help in the shopping department now?" She replied devilishly. This girl really knows how to get on my last nerve. I hate shopping enough as it is without Alice using this as one of her sick little games.

"Alice there's a pair of shoes in it for you if you do not hold wanting to go shopping against me for ages." I said deadly serious, straight into her eyes. Anything concerning the words 'free' and 'shoes' with Alice was always deadly serious. She gave a quick nod of the head, ran at vampire speed to grab her purse and we were in the garage in a split second.

I dashed in the car, eager to get to the mall and home to Edward as soon as possible. I hated being away from him, let alone going shopping. The sooner this was over, the better. I was honestly making this out to be such a terrible deed, but to me it felt just that way. I was going against everything of my anti-shopping views.

As I pulled up in the parking lot in my Audi, courtesy of Edward, heads turned and mouths dropped as always. It was hard to deal with accept at first but now it was like second nature just to ignore it. However, it seemed like today, even more heads were turned in our direction and people actually walked closer towards us to stare even further. I placed my sunglasses on, despite the lack of sun, just to try and hide from the crowds. I hate the attention even more then when I was human.

Before I realised what was happening, a group of about five drunken men had approached us from across the lot. I could smell the alcohol in their blood and it was so unappetizing that I would have rather eaten human food then them. I was so busy trying to be inconspicuous that I hadn't realised they had approached us. I grabbed Alice's hand and led her in the direction of the mall entrance as quickly as I could at human speed. They had us circled. This was not good for our human facade.

The sky was darkening, casting intimidating shadows across the solid concrete flooring. The only thing lighting the parking lot were the small isolated stars and the occasional car headlight passing by further down.

These men were no match to us but they could potentially ruin our carefully woven human facade here. Myself and Edward were moving away but that was no excuse for leaving thinks mucky here for the others. We couldn't let our vampire presence known, so we had to be extremely careful when deciding what we would do with these men. Particularly quietly, I whispered to Alice so that the rowdy men could not hear.

"What should we do Alice? I could try and text Edward or we can deal with this ourselves. We have to be careful."

"Shotgun the long haired one!" One particularly drunk brut called out. How could they even think that any one of us would be interested in louts like these?

"Text Edward quick, it would look bad if either of us assaulted one of them." Alice whispered incredibly fast. Even quicker I messaged Edward, so fast that they wouldn't even see in the blink of an eye. God bless vampire speed.

_Edward please help – were at the mall in the parking lot. _

I could have easily just put 'Help' and Edward would have been here like a shot but I knew that that would have frightened him immensely. With how protective Edward gets, it wouldn't surprise me if he wasn't already half way here, pinching the bridge of his nose in the car. If the roles were reversed, I knew I would do the same. I love Edward too much to even contemplate what he must be going through right now. I'm worrying his for no reason. I should be strong and brave enough to sort this issue out for myself. Was I really this dependent on Edward for _everything_? Something as innocent as Christmas shopping was quickly turning into something a lot more sinister.

"Stay calm Bella – don't do anything irrational. Edward will be here in a minute." Alice coolly said. It was easy for her to say, I'm sure she has been through this a million and one times before in the past. Alice is far from the vulnerable little pixie she appears to be. I hope Edward gets here soon. I fear that I might be forced to act out in defence of Alice. There was no way in hell that I was going to let anything or anyone hurt her.

"No way dude, can't you imagine having the little one? She wouldn't even have to get on her knees!" Another one commented whilst almost tripping over his own feet. They were repulsing me and making me angrier by the second. Nobody had the right to insult Alice like that, regardless of whether they were drunk or not.

"Lighten up baby, fancy a drink?" A third spoke to me. The last comment pushed me so far that I stepped closer, eyes dark and raised my fist to punch when Edward's car swerved round the corner just in time to stop me from doing anything reckless. God I love that man so much. He probably just stopped me from doing something that I would surely later regret. I wasn't going to turn all vampire on him or anything, just bruise him up a bit so he would know not to mess with vulnerable women again.

Edward jumped out of the Volvo and stopped just for a brief second as if contemplating something, then quickly snapped back his hand and punched with such force that the man who was closest to me fell to the ground out cold. Hah! That would teach him. It looked a lot more acceptable for Edward to do that rather than me, even though I would have loved to teach him a lesson. After moments of deliberating, the other men finally realised that they didn't have a chance against Edward, especially in the condition they were in, and they manically tried to run away, one falling as he did so. It was so comical that I actually laughed out loud, breaking the tension immensely.

Alice stepped over to me and hugged me so tightly that my breath caught in my throat, causing me to cough out vigorously.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Alice sang whilst peppering kisses all over my face. I scrunched up my features, weary of her new found happiness because of the lack of shopping tonight. Knowing Alice, she will be sulking for days until I take her shopping again and buy her even more shoes. That girl really had an addiction that needed hosing down fast.

After Edward made the other drunk leave, he ran over to me, concern covering his face, wrapping me in securely in his arms. Realisation suddenly dawned on me of how messy that situation could have gotten. I now felt incredibly grateful for what Edward had just done for us, and I felt as though I were human again with Edward protecting me once more. Edward held me close until my mind focused back into reality again. I pulled my head back and softly placed a chaste kiss to his lips, letting him know my appreciation for what just happened. If Edward hadn't have turned, I don't know what would have happened. It's frightening to think of.

Alice gave us a moment, and then she was quick to ask whether we could still go shopping, despite everything that had just happened. Nothing could stop that girl from shopping – ever. Edward sighed, pulled me into the crook of his arm then locked the Volvo over his shoulder, walking into the entrance.

"You've got an hour tops Alice!" Edward sighed, causing me to giggle, knowing how frustrated he got with Alice's addiction. Alice skipped into the mall, eyes widening at all of the glossy handbags and shoes in the windows. She was beyond hope. I don't know how Jasper hasn't taken all of her cards of yet, but knowing Alice, he's probably just given up. We followed Alice until she went out of sight, then like Jasper, we gave up and went to sit down by a decorative water fountain in the middle of the mall.

"Are you sure you're okay Bella? That must have been pretty frightening for you." Edward contemplated, holding me close to his side, reassuring me about everything. I still don't think I fully understand the severity of the situation but at least Edward was here to help me through it.

"I'm okay, I'm just worried about what I might have done if you hadn't have shown up." I replied solemnly.

"You don't think you would have-" Edward started. I was shocked that he would ask such a thing but I knew he had to so I didn't make such a big deal out of it. I was a vampire now and how to deal with those sorts of probing questions from the family.

"No, no of course not. I was just afraid that I might have hurt him not realising my new found strength." Edward nodded in understanding, realising what I now meant. I wasn't worried about 'sucking him dry' so much, just that I might have hurt him with my powerful strength. I have never touched a human in that way since being transformed, and I was scared that I would have forgotten that I couldn't hit him so hard. I could have killed him accidently with one touch.

"Don't worry Bella, you don't have to fight other people, I'm here to do that for you." Edward chuckled trying desperately to lighten the mood. I was getting depressive and that wasn't a good thing.

"Thank you Edward, you don't know how much I love you."

"Likewise Bella," Edward said in between kissing me passionately in front of everybody, "Now would you like to get some Christmas shopping done whilst were here?" Edward genuinely asked. I really ought to do some now instead of leaving it all till last minute, so we hopped up and headed in the direction of the main body of shops.

_Please Review, especially if you want me to update again soon!  
x_


	26. Chapter 26: Moving On At Midnight

Chapter 26 – Moving On

A/N: I guess this wonderful story needed a beautiful ending, so here it is…  
x

Crystal clear snowflakes glistened as they fell gracefully in a spiral to the floor. Outside, the scene was set beautifully for the most magical Christmas with Edward. It will be our first Christmas together since my transformation into this amazing world. I was so excited in fact, that I resembled a child eager to rip open their presents in a haste. The only other like me, being Emmett, who is basically an overgrown child anyway. Everybody has really gotten into the spirit of things this year according to Edward. Last night whilst curled up in front of the fire, he told me stories of previous years. He even delved into telling me about the Christmas that he was without me when we had our heart breaking split whilst I was human. The worst part his story was that he didn't even know it was Christmas when he was without me. He was in so much agonising pain that the days all seemed to merge into one long, horrific nightmare.

Esme had made the house look so beautiful and festive. I'm sure to any human it would seem far too over the top, but to us it was like the cherry on top of the pie as it gave an added level of joy to our already happy atmosphere. A twenty foot Norwegian Christmas tree stood proudly in the entrance of the house, welcoming any visitors as soon as they set eyes upon it. Emmett and Jasper had the best job of decorating the tree. They turned it into the challenge as to who could get the baubles in exactly the right position to make them glisten even more. Everybody else stood around giggling at the childish behaviour. It was so nice to finally be free of high school (well at least for a few years), that Edward and I were in one of the happiest frames of mind that we had been for a while. My aching heart and dry sobbing was slowly getting better thanks to my husband's support. I know that nothing will ever be able to fix my lack of being able to have children, but I think that I am finally coming to terms with the situation. I keep reminding myself that I will get to spend the rest of eternity with Edward and that I should be overwhelming happy with that than dwelling on something so insignificant at this time.

After an incredibly sensual Christmas Eve with Edward, we finally snapped out of our reverie in order to start getting ready to greet the family. Esme has gone completely overboard with the planning this year and has even cooked a real dinner just to please Charlie and Sue who were coming up from Forks for the day. I think she forgot herself at the time that she would have to eat it in front of everyone just to keep up the façade. Even though it will be a lovely family moment to all sit around the dinner table at Christmas, I know everyone will be dreading it since we would have to scoff down some food. Christmas dinner was the one meal with Charlie back in Fork's that we actually put some effort into. My mouth used to water at even just the thought of Christmas dinner, but now it turns my stomach into knots. The smell of a golden turkey and all the trimmings wafting up to our room was enough to put any vampire off of Christmas.

Even though I knew that Charlie would be here soon, I still couldn't lift myself up out of bed with Edward to have a shower. I clung to his side whilst he lithely doodled patterns on the base of my spine. It was an incredible feeling and if I was still human, I think I would have goose bumps from head to toe by now. Maybe even goose bumps on top of goose bumps. We did not say a word, just carried on day dreaming about our astonishing life until Edward slowly lifted me into his arms and carried me into the hot, refreshing shower. Sensing how relaxed I was, Edward carried on to wash my hair for me, rubbing gently my favourite strawberry shampoo through my tousles of mahogany hair. I loved it when he did this. Just a simple act of kindness made me feel so special, that my heart could just melt away. He lifted me out, wrapped me into a gigantic white, fluffy towel and then started to dry it carefully for me. I must be the luckiest girl in the world to have a husband so adoring.

"Emmett calm down!" Esme shouted whilst he tried in vain to grab his first present before everybody else. The whole family were all sitting around in our spacious open plan living area. The log fire was lit to keep Charlie and Sue nice and toasty, and to avoid suspicion that us Cullen's didn't need the warmth. Everyone chuckled in response to the sad faces that Emmett pulled. He looked like a naughty two year old caught in the act of doing something cheeky. Bless him!

"Right then everyone, you can all open your present off of your mother and I" instructed Carlisle. With that, the mood in the room improved immensely now that everybody could rummage through their presents. Edward opened his first – his eyes widening with glee as he took in the glorious present he received. My alabaster fingers ran gently down the seam of the glistening silver wrapping paper. At human speed, which felt incredibly slow to me, I untucked the paper to reveal a luxurious green velvet jewellery box. I looked up to Carlisle and Esme who were beaming down at me. Whatever was in this box, I certainly didn't deserve the extravagance. I didn't want to see the expression on Charlie's face at the moment. I knew that he would be upset probably with the fact that he couldn't give me a gift like this. With a gentle flip of the lid, the box opened to uncover the most mesmerizing pendant I have ever seen. A deep blue sapphire sat proudly in a nest of diamonds encasing it. It was beyond beautiful. Words couldn't describe how perfect it was. If I was human, my eyes most certainly would have welled up in tears by now.

"It's absolutely stunning! I'm lost for words – thank you so much to you both!" I exclaimed.

"You're very welcome, dear. We're lucky to have you in our lives. We've been blessed with your presence Bella. I hope you understand how much you mean to us." I rose from the carpet to give Esme and Carlisle a hug each, so grateful for everything that they have done for me.

"Here love, let me put it on for you" Edward suggested, tucking my waves of hair over my shoulder in order to fasten the clasp. With a gentle kiss on the cheek, Edward wrapped his inviting arms around me as I sat between his legs on the carpet. It felt so romantic even though we were in front of our whole family.

The morning continued in the same routine until there were only two presents left to open; one from Edward to myself and vice versa. Charlie must have communicated with Esme and Carlisle beforehand as his gift was a stunning pair of sapphire studs to match my necklace. I forgot how bad Charlie was at picking out presents. I guess since now he has Sue and Alice to help him, he's got much better.

"Edward open yours first," I suggested, "I can't wait for you to see it!" Everybody knew what his present was as I had to gain everybody's permission first. It was a very tricky thing to do, especially since Jasper still had problems controlling his thirst. Everybody had promised to be on their best behaviour.

"Where is it?" He pondered, looking around the room.

"Alice would you go fetch it for me from the garage please?" I asked, since I had her in on the plan. In just a few moments, Edward will be able to guess what it is anyway, but I still thought that it would be a nice surprise. Within a flash, Alice returned to the room with a giant grin spread across her face and a fairly large purple box in her hands. A giant bow completed the box, making it look as cute as can be. I'm sure that all the vampires in the room, including Edward, had guessed what it was at this point. The faint humming of a heartbeat echoed out from the box, along with the slight smell of a puppy. Edwards face lit up, not expecting this at all. Alice passed the box over gently to Edward and he carefully peeled back the ribbon and paper to reveal the cutest face he had ever seen. A tiny golden retriever puppy sat, looking up eagerly to Edward, begging to be picked up. The puppy seemed to have no fear of us vampires at all. Maybe it could sense that we were genuinely nice people and that we posed no threat to him. Edward's smile couldn't stop beaming from his face. He very gently pulled the lovely ball of fluff out of the box, and instantly cradled him in his arms.

"Have you thought of a name?" I pondered, curious as to his suggestion. Everybody waited eagerly to hear his idea. I'm sure they all had something in mind themselves, but it was down to Edward to decide.

"Seth" he replied proudly. Everybody seemed in agreement. Personally I thought it was a wonderful name, honouring one of our friends who had always helped us. Charlie and Sue seemed to like the thought. Within two minutes of Seth being in Edwards arms, he had already ripped up the pile of wrapping paper. Boy, were we going to have fun with this little fella!

"I've already said to Bella that I will look after Seth whilst you and Bella go travelling. It will be nice to have some company in the house whilst everybody else is out." Added in Esme. She really was so thoughtful.

"Yay! That means we can go shopping for the puppy now! I'm going to get him the most dazzling collar and matching cute outfits!" Alice excitedly stated. At that, everybody groaned, images of a large golden retriever with a funny outfit on filling their minds.

"Your turn now love." Edward said, passing me an envelope that was tucked away behind his back. I didn't even realise that it was there. I was as curious as to what it might be, that I didn't have an ideas in my head. Everybody looked on attentively as I opened the envelope. To my surprise, inside were two first class tickets to London! I couldn't think of the most perfect present. I turned around to give Edward a truly passionate kiss on the lips. I didn't care if my whole family were around, nothing could have gotten in the way.

"We leave at midnight darling – get your cases packed! Life starts from here on in sweetheart." Everybody erupted in the rounds of applause as they could sense how happy we were.

"Of course we'll have to come back every few weeks to see our beautiful Seth!" Edward exclaimed, pulling silly faces at the cute puppy. I've never seen him so happy before, except from our wedding day of course.

"When he gets a bit older, we'll be able to take him with us to lots of places" I added, so he wouldn't get too sad about missing him.

This was the most perfect Christmas anybody could have possibly wished for. We had our doting family around us, and a glorious marriage that would last for the rest of eternity. The rest of the day went pretty fast. We said our goodbyes to Charlie and Sue after the dinner that we had to force down ourselves, and then the next few hours after that, Alice was torturing us about packing the right things in our bags. I had no idea where we would be visiting in London, but it has always been somewhere where I would love to visit.

As the sun set across our beautiful house, all thoughts turned to our departure. Our bags were packed and ready to go in the Volvo, and we got ready to say our goodbyes. We would be back soon enough to see the family, which now included Seth, but then we don't know where we might go next. All I know for now is that I will always be with Edward, wherever we choose to go.

We have forever to decide that.


End file.
